The Last Stand of Oz: first in series
by QM2NerdfromOz
Summary: Thanks to Dorothy Oz can rest for a while. Until an unexpected visit from an unwanted Witch takes it all away with such ease. In just a day, Oz gains and loses a new ruler, and the safety of everyone in the country are at stake. It is up to the prophecy Glinda believes in, to save the land of Oz, and survive the last stand for freedom from terrorizing enemies.
1. Chapter 1

A Wicked Reincarnation

While The Witch's guards and Chistery watched in theatrical horror as their supreme leader, The Wicked Witch of the West, die before them, the Winkie guards just decided to get rid of Dorothy and her friends the easy way, by giving the broom that Elphaba once used. They faked happiness so as not to have to explain anything to this cheeky farm girl who stole their leader's shoes.

"Please, and take it with you!" The Winkie Guard faked generosity, wanting to stab her with his spear.

"Oh thank you! Now we can go back to the Wizard, and tell him the Wicked Witch is dead!" Dorothy said, and she quickly ran out with her friends back to the Emerald City from there in Kiamo Ko. Out of the corner of Dorothy's eye, but not seeing it as anything significant, she could swear she saw the wall that looked like it was stone, flowing in the wind of this corridor. Then she saw a pink light, and then nothing again. She did not know, but Glinda was behind that "wall" or rather stone disguised curtain, witnessing the entire thing, now trying not to cry. She headed back to the Emerald City, to give the Wizard and Madame Morrible a piece of her mind, and to bring out the truth with the little green bottle…

While she returned to the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, Locasta disguised herself as Toto, and pulled the curtain back exposing the fumbling old man manning the Oz head machine. Then changed back into her real self, put the real Toto back, and boarded her Airship, fleeing the area not wanting to be caught. Everyone believes she (Elphaba) has died, and Glinda proclaims such. That is exactly what she wanted. The truth however, is much more horrifying, to those who were relieved with her death. In the time between the Wizards' permanent leave of absence, and when Glinda took the Throne temporarily before the Scarecrow, no one had the throne. The total amount of time between these two key events, was little more than a day. But in that day however, fates had been sealed, and influential people had been murdered.

When the Wizard was on his way back to Kansas to continue being an illusionist in his time period, the Witch of the South discovered him while she was patrolling the skies in her Airship. Locasta as her real name was, was also Lady Glinda the Good's sister. They were both loved by the people of Oz, except Locasta had many ulterior motives. She would only merely appease the crowds if it benefited herself. More than anything, she had always wanted to expose the Wizard for what he truly was. A fake, old powerless man who became dictator of his own accord, and helped by lies and propaganda. After the great Drought in Munchkinland, and the economic turmoil in Gillikin, and the poor hygiene standards of Quadling, the people would have believed in anyone who came to their land in a beautiful and wonderful balloon of hot air. So, really wanting to become Oz's next Queen, and still unseen by the Wizard in front of her, she shot down his balloon and the end of Oscar Phadrig Ambroise Diggs Zoroaster occurred.

Then, at the same time, in the empty throne room, Chistery and one of the Witch's guards broke into the Wizard's throne room, looking for the Grimmerie. Glinda was the last seen to have it, and before she went to the Emerald City to send Dorothy home, she dropped it off in her future seat of power. The most powerful, source of black magic, was left unguarded for an entire day.

Chistery had a mission. He needed to steal the Grimmerie and the Broomstick, and go back to Kiamo Ko before Nanny gets back from the Glikkus. So, he lied to the Guard.

"If you can take it out of there successfully, I will ask the Wicked One to make you the richest Captain of her guard she has ever had."

"Alright, it's a deal." The Guard slammed his spear on the ground in salute, and he ran into the throne room, with Chistery keeping watch. His wings extended so as to block the view inside from the open doorway. The Wizard's huge Oz head was still in here. The 10-foot diameter bronze head with its red eyes glowing brightly, still resting on the enormous emerald velvet and Gold Throne, which in turn sat on top the base mounting of the Oz Head machine. At this base mounting, emeralds lined the bottom that also lit, and the perimeter of the enormous 20 ft tall gold backrest, also lit up, and the base spewed out fire still. But it was motionless, and speechless. The Guard saw the Grimmerie on the throne seat underneath the Oz head, and the Broom leaning against the wall behind the Oz head, and he quickly grabbed them both. He ran back out to give it to Chistery and delivered it. Chistery looked up to the sky and saw the pink bubble, Lady Glinda of Oz was coming back to claim her authority. Chistery feared this.

"I have no time!" He stabbed the guard in the heart with his spear-ended tail and flew away back to Kiamo Ko. When Glinda's bubble popped, she immediately saw the Grimmerie had been stolen, and the dead Witch guard. She rounded up her Royal Oz army men, gold small round robots that were the perfect soldiers, incredibly intelligent, fierce, and swift. Their only problem was they needed winding every two hours. They had emeralds for eyes that had limitless vision, and Glinda sent two of them to Kiamo Ko to go and retrieve the Grimmerie.

When they got there, they accidentally witnessed the revival. Once again, the green-skinned powerful woman rose, and used her broom as a cane to stand tall. Her gown, cape and hat were both still wet, and it stung her like crazy, but she did not care. She found out the truth about the Wizard, and wanted Oz to pay. When the Witch saw those two Royal Oz army robots, she used her first spell to send them back to Ev, and have the Nome King deal with them…

Back at the throne room, Glinda was getting nervous. The Scarecrow and the Tin man came to her and said that the two robots had been stolen and sent to Ev.

"Your Goodness, you won't believe by who, but I can feel it in my heart," said the Tin man, now in control of Munchkinland.

"I know it in my brain," Said the Scarecrow who now ruled the Quadling country.

"Who?" she asked.

"The Wicked Witch of the West…" Glinda fell to her seat, and dropped her star topped staff. (The snowflake will not come until coronation day).

"My Lady, I have news that Ev is having some political turmoil," The Courageous Lion reported (who now controlled Gillikin in Glinda's stead.

"That doesn't apply to us, we have no allegiances with Ev, only a peace agreement, we don't harm them, and they don't harm us." Glinda picked up her staff.

"He has heard news of your secret plan, you know, about… him. The one who is to rightfully lead Oz" The Courageous Lion said.

"Well, I don't even know if I am going to carry that one out, I need to find two people, two strong people to help me out, but not from here, from the place where Dorothy came."

"I also hear that Mombi is soon to visit Munchkinland, coming from Glikkus. If the legends are true, you know what this means. And, Madame, The Tin man needs to tell you something important as well," said the Lion.

"Yes, *ahem. I umm, I found the Ruby Slippers, they are on the yellow brick road, near where the Conference takes place." The Tin man clenched his left chest. His heart was racing, for the first time, he was having an adrenaline rush.

"Alright, thank you, I will see to this immediately. I just need to find two good, people in love."

Glinda the Good, now Glinda of Oz, needed help from the outside world. The strange place where Dorothy came from would be ideal. If she was so brave, perhaps all the people from that world were. She needed people who loved each other strongly, enough to face the most Wicked of all Oz's Witches, and not give in to fear or doubt. So few weeks passed, and Glinda made contact with that world. She had a dream about two people. One was a young girl, she was talking about riding horses, and telling another slightly older boy next to her of her awards for horse riding, and he was in full service dress blue military uniform, going to a bal. She could not speak to these two people, but she knew in her heart they the ones for the job. A year and a half went by, and she had already abdicated the throne to the Scarecrow, as the late Wizard originally planned. She however wanted to rid Oz of his schemes, and plots and further corruption so the Scarecrow could have a clean good slate, and he did. Glinda however could still not get those people's attention back on Earth. She tried to tell the boy (she could sense he already had immense knowledge of Oz) and so changed the name of the woman who gave him his driver's license to her own, written in pink on her nametag. But he did not follow through enough. And for the girl, she tried to show her bubbles in random places, or bring up refrences to Oz in little ways, but again no change.

One day, a strange man wearing a familiar designed black cape, and a torn in half top hat, stormed in, with these terrifying Dragons. All of them were black as night, and growling and hissing. He held out in his right hand now the very hat that Glinda knew belonged to none other than, Elphaba Thropp, The Eminent Thropp of the West. This man told her he was related very closely to the Witch, and that he was the supposed Lurlinistic follower and political campaigner, Shell Thropp, The Witch's brother. Glinda tried resisting, and a fight ensued. The price being the Throne of Oz. She used her snowflake staff carefully, wisely, and powerfully. Shell though, had magic as well as Dragons, and Glinda was forced to resign. She could not win this alone, and so she summoned her bubble, and went back to Gillikin. Oz was now under rule of The brother of the most evil woman in Oz's long illustrious history. The Emperor Apostle has been voted into Office, defeating the Scarecrow for another term.


	2. Chapter 2

**Last Stand of Oz part 1: California 2009**

I am a rather unusual person for my age. My name is Anthony and while most teenagers or college people like going to parties and going out to bars, I prefer the finer things in life. I listen to opera, watch musicals wearing a suit usually in the theater, and always treat ladies as a good old-fashioned gentleman, like my Grandfather. At the same time, I like politics and debate. I am pretty tall, about six feet with out shoes. I have thick brown hair with (only during the summer) few blond highlights. Also only in the summer, my skin gets pretty tan but I loose it quickly. I have very dark brown eyes, and wear glasses. I always wear the same gold watch on my right hand despite my not being left handed. When I was a junior in high school, I met the most beautiful woman in the world.

Her angelic name is Natalee. She is about my height minus my head and neck, has luscious chocolate-brown hair that has curves and waves like the mid Atlantic in the summer. She too enjoys pop, some techno, and musicals as well as hip-hop. Her own forte is horses. Her absolute favorite sport is horseback riding, but not racing. If there is anything she will stand up most frequently for, it is prevention of animal cruelty. She truly is stunning. Her slightly tanned milky skin is paired with the most magical eyes I have ever seen. Depending on the lighting, they will appear usually hazel. Sometimes though, when the sun is just right, and she is outside, they look green.

It was there in California when we started dating. We have been in love since the very beginning. We liked reading about these crazy adventures in books. Well one summer, we had our own adventure. Before I tell you what happened though, you should know it is not credible. I mean bubbles, and monkeys, Witches and Animals; you will probably think we are crazy. Well it happened and it changed Natalee and me. It all started when I went to visit her. I could not wait to see her after almost half a year of being away. I used to live in California, but with a father in the military, that meant every three years I had to say goodbye to everything I knew and loved. This time was the hardest. The friends I made in California are family to me, and nothing can separate us. So having to say good-bye to them with an uncertain future was hard. Then, on top of having to part with my family-like friends, I had to say good-bye to Natalee, not knowing if we would ever see each other again. I told her that I had moved before, and never since seen or heard from those great people, and that it made me sad. I loved Natalee, and I still do. I love her with all my heart, and that was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Miraculously, an opportunity opened it's self for me to go back to California and not only see all my old friends, but see Natalee too. Therefore, I took the first plane from school to CA and finally landed in the place I truly call home. When I got to the airport, I could already point her out. I would recognize those chocolate locks anywhere.

"Natalee I am so happy to see you! It has been way too long. I love you so much!"

"Anthony! I missed you so much I cried my eyes out when you left, I am so glad you're here again, don't leave me anymore!" Then we hugged and this time we ended the hug with a kiss, something neither of us had had for almost a year. Then we walked to her car and drove to her house. When we finally got there, we goofed around for a bit, catching up on old times, and just enjoying the time being with each other. The next day, Natalee's mom was watching the news, and she could not believe what she was hearing.

"Today there is a Tornado warning, for the Del Mar, Chula Vista, and Bonita-" The CNN news reporter warned. All of us stopped talking and paid very close attention to the rest of the weather report. Anthony was not convinced though.

"Natalee, do you believe that? I do not, they must be making a mistake, they can't possibly be serious. California doesn't get tornadoes; we're too close to the water." Anthony said. Natalee answered back.

"I don't know, the weather all over has been acting really weird lately. It wouldn't surprise me. It wouldn't surprise me," she replied.

"Well, the warning won't take affect until tonight, let's see if anything happens." Her mom suggested. We waited and for a while nothing came of it. Then right around 10pm, Natalee was outside taking care of the animals, and came in a little hysterical.

"Mom, Anthony, come look! The sky is GREEN! Why the hell is it Green? Don't you see it?" Natalee asked. Anthony went outside with her wanting to see for himself this green sky she was talking about.

"Oh wow it does look green, that's creepy!" said Anthony looking at the emerald sky. Natalee and Anthony ran back inside and went into the kitchen to look at the sky from the safety of home, and to tell her mom. The wind started becoming more and more serious, and the trees were straining to stay in the ground as the wind tried hard to pull them out of the ground, angling their trunks with the wind. The sky grew darker and the birds all flew away, not wasting time to get in a formation. Natalee and her mom with Anthony's help hurriedly got the eight rabbits, five cats and the lone dog to safety before the storm hit. Then went we all went up stairs to Natalee's room. The three of us gathered tightly and closely together under her bed to protect us from the possible airborne threats in the room. Having only one window, it was the safest. The wind swirled around every crack in the walls and our ears began popping from the changing pressure, and then the lights went out. Natalee's Mom called out,

"EVERYBODY STAY CALM! STAY AWAY FROM THE WINDOW! Natalee where's your brother? Oh my God WHERE IS Niccolas? NICCOLAS?" Natalee, her mom, and I looked around the room from under the bed and could not find him. In the middle of a tornado, Niccolas was nowhere to be found.

"Mom I'm right here it's ok!" With a frightened tone and face Niccolas answered his mother's call and squeezed in under the bed with us. The wind was so terrible we could barely hear him. We all held hands and tried to wait out the storm. Anthony squeezed Natalee's hand and held her close. The wind swirled around the house in record speeds as if trying to beat Secretariat for the Triple Crown. Just then, the house began to pitch...


	3. Chapter 3

The wood in the house began bending sounding like the crackling a firework makes before exploding. The ceiling began curving as the wind manipulated it to grab hold of the walls and thrust upwards. The rest of the house was fighting with the wind using its weight to try remaining on the ground, but the wind won, and slowly, the walls and foundation of the house broke free from the ground, and started rising. Natalee clenched Anthony's hand in fear as her house was ripped from the ground and thrown high into the air. All of us screamed in fear of not knowing what in God's name will happen next. The walls looked like they were inhaling and exhaling from the high winds blowing all over. Everything loose then became a threat to us. Things that once brought smiles to us now brought terror. Tables, TVs, desks, a refrigerator, and chandeliers, all thrashed down to whichever side gravity wanted. Anthony yelled as he saw Natalee's dresser fly around the room, throwing all her clothes and animal figurines in the air. He tried looking out the window, but only saw the pitch black clouds, and a speck of green way down beneath the house."What's happening Natalee? I can't see the ground anymore!" Anthony could barely hear himself over the howling winds.

"I don't know!" she grimly house rose ever higher and the wind grew louder and louder until it was deafening. After a while of soaring high into the sky, the tornado started loosing it's power. The sudden decrease of thrust in the wind caused the house to sort of jump and in turn the bed, with all of us underneath, was in thin air for a moment. Then, the wind gradually got quieter, and the green sky started turning back to its normal shade of night blue. The house began to dive-bomb towards the ground, creating the trademark whistling tune, becoming more high pitched the closer it got to land. All of us screamed more at the thought of being crushed by either the house or the ground, or both very soon. Then we hit. The second floor continued falling, and caved in on its self a bit. The first floor was completely gone, and the house was now squat. The walls were curved from the pressure, and the floors on the former second floor were uneven. When the dust settled, Anthony tried hard to look for Natalee. He had no luck and began to worry. He looked out the window of what once was Natalee's room and saw a road of yellow brick. Anthony thought he knew exactly where he was, but was he serious? Could he actually be saying he is not on Earth anymore? His mind went numb, and he passed out on the floor again.

Meanwhile, Natalee and her mom searched for Anthony, but to no avail. Despite the fact that they both were in the same house, Anthony was clearly not in the same place as Natalee, Niccolas and their mom. The house was a disaster, and looked as if a bomb went off. The entire neighborhood was destroyed, but only her house had flown into the air. It was a miracle that they were all still alive, but why was only Anthony missing? Natalee was confused sad and worried all at the same time, and everybody else frantically began searching.

"Anthony where are you? We're trying to find you!" Her mom desperately called out. For hours, they searched but saw no signs of me. She went to what used to be the kitchen and found Natalee sitting next to her brother on the floor with their heads down. "Natalee, I'm going to drive around the street a little, just to make sure he didn't fall with the debris." Natalee looked very scared and said she would look some more around the house.

"I was holding his hand the whole time, why wouldn't he be in here?" She went back up to her room, where they last were, and did not find him. When she climbed the stairs, she saw something sparkle on the corner of her eye. She crept closer towards it and knelled down to get a better look. There was just dust and other things under her bed, nothing out of the ordinary. She sat down crossing her arms and trying not to think about the possibilty of his death. Still she could not find Anthony. Worried about where on Earth he could be, she felt a tear. Then something strange but good happened. She smelled soap quite potently as bubbles rained down from her looked at them and said,

"What the hell?" Niccolas, her brother, was interested too.

"When did you get a snow machine?" He asked. Natalee knew it wasn't a snow machine. Her mom stood up and assured them,

"I'm sure Tinker bell would have lot's to say, but come help me clear a path so we can get outside." She left the room with Niccolas, trying to keep her balance on the unstable floor. Natalee stayed behind. She heard a sudden thump from the side of her bed, and she went back to examine. When she looked around, there was nothing different. Or, so she thought. Then she again was about to turn around when something began to glimmer and sparkle just as before. when she finally saw them she gasped and immediately recognized the powerful ruby glow of the slippers. She didn't believe it though, and thought they can't possibly be the Ruby Slippers, but nonetheless, took off her old converse, and put on the Ruby Slippers. At first they didn't fit. They were far too big, and she was about to take them off when all of a sudden they shrank perfectly to her size right before her eyes. She tried to take them off with her hands, but they wouldn't budge. The Ruby Slippers were hers now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Good News and Bad News**

Anthony rose from the debris of the house and after another hour of calling out for Natalee with no success, just gave up and slowly let out tears. He was worried sick about where she could be. He had just gone through a terrible tornado which destroyed the house almost completely, he worried that she died. Just then, bubbles rained down from the ceiling. Each one grew bigger than the last, until an enormous five ft tall bright, pink bubble came down slowly, and manoevered to be right infront of him. Then the bubble gently dissappeared and reveald just who he expected. Anthony smiled before it popped and knew precisely who was coming. A blond woman in a beautiful blue and diamond studded gown, and with a snowflake wand appeared. I bowed from the neck as she walked slowly to greet me.

"An honor to meet your Goodness," Anthony did not offer his hand, that would not have been proper. Propriety being something that Glinda the Good greatly admired.

"The pleasure is mine, it's good to see you. You have come in the most critical of times." Glinda returned the kindness. Everything about her glisteneed. Her attire obviously because they had gems on them. But even her skin, hair, wand, and snowflake crown gleamed. It made her appear almost heavenly. He smiled from ear to ear meeting his favorite heroine. They shook hands and then he opened his mouth as if to speak but stopped him self, thinking of other things to ask her.

"I originally was not alone in this house, my girlfriend was with me. I don't know where she is, or even why only I am here." He lowered his head in sadness of not knowing where Natalee was, and Glinda put her hand on his chin, attempting to lift him up. He suddenly spurted out all the questions he had.

"I am sure you have concerns, please ask me anything and I will do my best to clarify." Glinda waited patintly for me to think of the most useful questions to ask.

"Well, I know where I am, but I don't know when, and I don't know where my girlfriend is, and why didn't she come with me, and who is ruling Oz now and why-" Glinda cut me off.

"I am sorry, I must tell you my news first. It will help. Natalee is safe, in her home. She didn't make it to Oz like you did, she's still in California." Anthony let out a sigh of relief hearing his love was still safe.

"So how can I get back to her?" He asked. Glinda's hand started fidgeting.

"Well, that is the bad news. As you know, the Wizard has unexpectedly left Oz, leaving me as Queen, but Elphaba's brother Shell overthrew me. What's worse, Elphaba has returned to Kiamo Ko. Don't ask me how, but she has and she is terrible. She wants revenge on the whole country now for how the Wizard treated her. She won't listen to rationality or reason anymore, she's too hurt. So now, with two people trying to destroy Oz from the inside out, I needed help and you are the one with the strongest heart, and the most knowledge about our history."

"What is your point?" Anthony was confused. Glinda took a deep breath, then spoke again.

"My point, is that if I bring Natalee here, she will never be in more danger of losing her life than if she were here right now, but honestly, she should be here. The Wicked Witch has killed hundreds and will kill again. She must be stopped. The Emperor is craving more power than our old pal the Wizard. He uses Dragons to strike fear in the people so they will be afraid of disobeying him, but they don't know that they will be killed anyway. You must help me Anthony, if we don't try to do something, she will take control of Oz, and you know what that means."

"I see. Well, Glinda, I'm glad to help, but I really must be going now-" Anthony got very stressed out, and wanted to avoid this whole situation, thinking like Dorothy that he could go back home whenever he wanted. Reality had other plans though.

"Going where? Do you think this is some playground that you can leave whenever you want? I'm sorry but this is reality now. From the moment you landed here your life has been in serious danger. The Wicked Witch is on your doorstep. Now, sit down and listen to all I have to tell you." Anthony sighed and braced him self for the rest of the bad news. "You remember when Dorothy left, not even Liir could tell where the Ruby Slippers could have gone? Well, I was walking in Kumbrica's Pass on my way to see the Conference of The Birds last month, and on the side of the road, I saw something sparkle, as if at me; trying to get my attention. I immediately recognized them and so in order to keep them in a place only you and I would know about, they are on Natalee's feet." As Anthony began to put two and two together he realized of course she was talking about the Ruby Slippers. His muscles tensed; this was not in any way going to keep Natalee safe. The last thing that made Elphaba mentally incapacitated were those shoes, and now, my girlfriend had them.

"WHAT? Elphaba will... Natalee could... Glinda! How could you do that? The Wicked Witch of the West kills for those Ruby Slippers, and has been killing or otherwise terrorizing people for them! If she finds out, there is no telling what will happen! You have got to bring her here!" he demanded.

"Oh very well, but if this doesn't work, don't blame me, this wand never works when I want it to. And, you should know, as long as she is wearing those shoes, even though she has the power to go back whenever she wants, we can't tell her, it won't work," Glinda explained.

"So you're saying unless she figures it out on her own based on what other things the Ruby Slippers will do for her, and if she comes here, we can't go back unless she finds out they have the ability to do that?" Anthony asked for clarification.

"Yes, now do you see how serious this really is? What's more, if we delay any longer, she'll come after you next. There's no way she doesn't know what I'm up to. And she really doesn't like it. I feel terrible, but I keep telling my self it's not the same person I used to know, Elphaba would have never done this. We are now dealing with the Wicked Witch of the West." She reiterated. At the end of her sentence she broke contact with Anthony and looked out the window up at the black skies.

"Good will always conquer evil. You just need faith," Glinda turned around and nodded in agreement to his statement.

"Yes of course, precisely. Now then, time for Miss Natalee to join us." She waved her wand three times and all of a sudden, Natalee popped out of one of Glinda's bubbles.

"I apologise for the short visit, but I really must go, there is some business in Munchkinland I must attend to." In her own signature pink bubble, Glinda went away. Natalee and Anthony watched her impressive exit, and then sat down on her bed. There was a lot she needed to know. The shoes glowed in the shadows, and Anthony tried not to look at them. He stood up, and gathered his thoughts to break the news about Natalee's risk in Oz.


	5. Chapter 5

**Enter Elphaba**

Natalee and I hugged for the longest time. Afterward, I filled her in on what Glinda told me, and about what I knew about the past civil war with Munchkinland trying to secede from Oz and how it depleted lives and the Wizard's army.

"Holy crap Anthony, that means Elphaba is gonna want to kill me for these, that is the only way they will come off now! What are we going to do?" Natalee grabbed Anthony's shoulders and shook him slightly.

"Well here's the thing. We need to defeat the Witch and stop the Emperor from becoming dictator. He is enslaving the population and Elphaba is killing it. They must be stopped, and if we don't this could be the last stand for Oz." Natalee calmed down and was comforted that Anthony already was developing a plan in his head.

"Agreed. So I guess this means we should start thinking about a possible War then right? I mean how can it not go that far?" Natalee hated War, and the thought of her being in one, was bone chilling.

"Unfortunately, yes. Glinda even said if we delay too much, the Witch will hunt her down, we can't let that happen Natalee, she is the one who will lead us into battle, we can't possibly fight this without her. And don't worry about me, I would end my life for you if it meant you would be ok." Anthony looked very pale, this Oz he was in now was exciting for about five seconds, now it was life or death. He wasn't so much worried about his life as he was his girlfriend's. He looked down at her feet. There they were, glowing and sparkling red shoes of power and deception. The shoes' beauty in spite of this terrible situation they were in, made it seem as though the shoes were smirking almost. As if they didn't care, and wanted someone to corrupt nonetheless. Anthony looked away and headed for the front door.

When we finally walked out of the house, we wished we had not. The disgusting scene of a Munchkin bloodbath lay before us. Munchkins that were hanged, beheaded, dismembered and very mutilated, covered most of the corpse ridden yellow brick road. We were both so shocked from what we were seeing we could not stand to be in the middle of this. So we ran to the western boundary towards the Emerald city and more specifically, towards Elphaba's old house where her sister once reigned. A black gate shielded off the house to a mile radius from everyone else. When we saw the gate, there was a ghost shaped sign that said in green ink, "Compliments of WWW". Anthony said after reading the sign aloud,

"It's her, she wrote that, but I don't think it was specifically her that did this. I bet it was the Monkeys, see how some of these people look like they have been trampled to death? And some are on rooftops."

Natalee responded, "This is so horrible, I can't believe Elphaba's doing this,"

"I know it may sound twisted but can you blame her? She's trying to make a point. Sadly, the rest of Oz stopped trying to care about her long ago. Anyway, we still need to find her and stop her before more innocent people suffer." Natalee and I continued walking down the yellow brick road and thankfully, the violence disappeared along with Munchkinland. "OK Natalee, we need a plan. There is no way we can take down the Witch alone. We need our own army, and we need help. More importantly, we need those things fast!" Anthony exclaimed. Natalee looked around her, she liked the face of Oz, the clean lines of nature and city made it very attractive. Distracted from the nature, she shook her head and then quickly thought of who to go to first.

"The Emperor." Natalee suggested. Anthony didn't know where she was going with this though.

"Yes what about him?" he asked.

"I think we should meet with him and see what he truly is doing behind the scenes. That way we can know first hand for our selves if he is lying about certain things or not. And who knows, if he's a good Emperor and he helps us, what's the harm in that?" she asked.

"Good idea, then we need to go to the Emerald City and find him, but we should talk to him alone, I don't want anyone hearing-" Just then the sky went green. Natalee grabbed Anthony's hand. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then a voice that sounded so hurt and furious at the same time echoed throughout the land.

"Hearing what? Do you think the old and feeble Glinda can help you get me?" The Witch's voice asked in a condescending manner.

Anthony and Natalee said together, "YES! We do!" The Witch had a very distinct voice. She had a southern accent and rounded her vowels. Whenever she began to yell, she would speak faster and become more high pitched.

"HA! YOU FOOLS! The amount of pain I will put you through, will make you BEG FOR DEATH!" Then the sky cleared and the cackling Elphaba voice disappeared into the distance.

"We need to run! I doubt the train system still works. If you get tired I'll just carry you, but I won't let anything happen to you and we won't get separated again because I love you Natalee!" Then they kissed and while holding hands tightly, ran as fast as they possibly could from the outskirts of Nest Hardings to The Emerald City. Natalee noticed that since she had been wearing the Ruby Slippers, she now could run as fast as necessary without needing to rest. Anthony was pushing himself to keep going but needed to slow occasionally.

"Wow these shoes are great! I feel like I can run across country!" She smiled.

"You just did genius!" he said sarcastically.

"Shut up brat!" she laughed.

"We are now entering the Emerald City." Panting, he slowed to a walk, and gazed at the enormous green glowing buildings before them. Everything was green and gold, very patriotic. It was the capitol city though, so of course it was patriotic. "Natalee, before we go in, there is kind of a protocol. First, our business is our own. No matter who asks, we are just here to see The Eminent Thropp. Second, no one needs to know our specifics. Third, everyone knows exactly what shoes those are so just bare that in mind as well. Above all, we are together and in love."

"And always will be. No matter what that Wicked Witch tries to do!"

"Yeah, don't say things like that inside either." They both laughed and walked to the City Gates.


	6. Chapter 6

His Ozness

Natalee and I walked into the Emerald City and all The Emperor's guards saw the shoes and let us pass. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched us go our way. Some looked down at her shiny red shoes, screamed, and ran away. Others didn't bother looking, and minded their business, either way, these red slippers really stood out amongst all the green and yellow.

"Anthony, why are they staring at us?" She asked, perplexed.

"They are afraid of those shoes so close to their home, don't make eye contact just keep walking." He clarified, and he was right. Those shoes were certainly of highest priority by the one woman who from the time she was a teenager, was a convicted terrorist in Oz. We kept walking and the Emerald City got closer and closer, until we reached one of the Emperor's guards at the large golden gate that said Oz.

"Who are you, what is you purpose for entering the Capital City?" asked the guard. He was dressed just as any other Emerald City guard. But he was certainly under different orders than any typical guard. Natalee showed him the Ruby Slippers.

"I'm wearing the Ruby Slippers that Glinda the Good gave to me. She sent us here on a mission, our business is on our own." She was trying to be able to move on and she had the right way of thinking. Glinda had intense levels of authority, and saying her name here allowed us passage. Normally there wouldn't be an interrogation to get into the Emerald City. But now because of the Emperor Apostle being another powerful dictator, now has posted guards to keep his lowly subordinates out of his way. In reality though, he did not want them seeing what he really was up to. Unlike the Wizard, the Emperor really did have magic, and was quite powerful. But, he knows that Glinda is stronger, and also that bit about his sister coming back and raising hell. They are working together to get the shoes. The guard let us go after seeing the Ruby Slippers and we were quickly brightened. Everything was brightly polished and shining emeralds. It was all immaculate and beautiful. Everybody in the shops and museums, and estates and other Ozians just walking around all cheered for new guests. They sang out, "Welcome to the Emerald City!" and we ran inside in excitement. We went ice skating, Horseback riding, and on a Ferris wheel. From there we could see the entire city. In the center was the enormous cluster of buildings that would dwarf any of those in downtown New York. The tallest emerald encrusted building, was the domain of the ruler of Oz. Every ruler could make the throne room their own style of you will, but it was always in the tallest one. This one, was well above the clouds, and seemed all the m ore powerful to us. After a few hours of doing the fun things we decided to take a break in a little café. But to get there we took a carriage ride with a Horse that changed his color! It was really fun, the even Horse talked to us, he asked us about where we came from and how we knew Glinda, and Natalee hogged most of the attention. She was ecstatic and wanted to keep the Horse forever. I loved the City because everything was so awesome! Everything was either green, gold, red, blue or purple. The yellow brick road had just been cleaned so it was shiny too. We walked all over it too, we went to the museums, the libraries, the theatre, and a planetarium. Then we went to an outdoor cafe. We both drank crème soda from a green glass bottle, and had a snow cone and popcorn. My snow cone was blue and hers was pink. The popcorn was green too!

"A toast darling, to the wonderful city of emeralds! And to you my love, the fairest adventurer ever!" She smiled, and then we clang our crème soda glass bottles together. We just sat down relaxed and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the Oz capital city. When we finished our popcorn, I jumped up and saw a man selling tickets to ride his very colorful hot air balloons. We both thought the same thing, and raced like mad to get their first. Natalee of course beat me because of the Ruby Slippers. We both went over to them and got in the same basket. Our balloon was blue, purple, red, pink and green. The salesman saw her Ruby Slippers and actually ran away.

"Wow, it's a good thing we're not thieves!" Natalee pointed out, and I laughed. As we got to the highest point, we could see everything. Gillikin where Glinda no doubt was, Munchkinland (The reconstruction equipment anyway) and then, the dark, gloomy, and thunderstorm filled Vinkus. The lightening was striking different parts of the Kells making them even more robust and pointy then they already were. The Wicked Witch's castle of Kiamo Ko was high in the Upper Kells mountain range, far away from everybody else was just visible in the distance. Just then, Natalee fell to the floor of the balloon's basket, grasping her ankles in pain.

"Natalee what is wrong? Is it the shoes?" I asked her. I could see the Ruby Slippers were blinking, with her grunting each time they grew brighter.

"Yeah, they are burning my feet, I think it must be our closeness to her castle," she answered.

"Alright Natalee, I think we have had enough fun for today, we need to go see the Emperor right now." I said. We lowered the balloon, and when it hit the ground we ran to the center of the Emperor's Palace.

"I will use the slippers to get a meeting with him. But if we stop running they'll surely ask us." Natalee was trying to go on despite her burning feet. We ran up all the 100 stairs to get to the Oz floor, and then two of the Emperor's guards dressed in full emerald green uniform with the tall fur military hat and holding a large spear blocked the door to the throne room.

"What is your business with the Emperor?"

"lady Glinda the Good has sent us here on business. Open the door for us and let us continue our mission, or see what these shoes of power are made of!" Natalee threatned. I wasn't sure how this would work out for her, but it surprisingly worked, and the door was opened.

"Well than, The Emperor will see you now. Follow me." We followed him and he didn't say a word. The corridor's ceilings grew taller and wider the farther in the Palace we got. eventually we arrived at a intersection of sorts, and the Guard turned left so we followed.

"No you keep going straight you'll know when you found the Throne Room". The Emperor's guard instructed us he chuckled as he walked away.

When we entered the gigantic 50 ft tall room, there was an enormous steel dragon in the back facing us where the Wizard Head once was. All the lights were out in the room apart from its red eyes, and Natalee held my hand. Natalee was not afraid but Anthony knew this was not a Good Emperor. Purple fire lit up the dark perimeter of the enormous room, and there were statues of the Flying Monkeys creating an arch to reach the Emperor in his Dragon facade. the topper to this room, was a black gigantic Witch hat.

"I think it looks pretty cool," Natalee whispered. As we walked closer, the room's perimeter lit up in purple fire and the steel dragon contraption stood up straight. Then suddenly, the head of the dragon looked down and faced us right in the eye, and spoke.

"I AM OZ! I AM OZ! THE HOLY AND POWERFUL! WHO ARR YOU TWO AND WHY ARE YOU DISTURBING ME?" The Emperor sort of introduced himself, and implied that he was busy attending to another matter.

"I am NATALEE YOUR TERRIBLENESS! And this is my boyfriend Anthony!" They grew impatient with the unnecessary formalities, and wanted t talk business. Anthony took it from there.

"We've come to ask you for help. We have reason to believe The Wicked Witch of the West has returned and wants to conquer all of Oz by killing everyone in it! Where are Oz's armies?"

"SILENCE! That is ridiculous nonsense! Elphaba died! EVERYONE knows that! Now, LEAVE MY CITY AT ONCE, AND STOP WASTING MY TIME!" The Emperor of Oz was clearly being defensive so he didn't have to dispute the existence of his sister. As Natalee and I decided he would be of no use, we turned away and tried to run out. Just then, the door closed and locked in front of us, preventing our escape. I turn to Natalee who was starring at her shoes and said,

"Natalee he sees the Ruby Slippers!" I warned. The Emperor stepped closer to us and raised an eyebrow. He was beginning to understand exactly what we had in mind for coming to visit him.

"Why do I feel such immense power coming from in front of me? And tell me, do your plans have anything to do with Gillikin?" The Emperor smartly asked, obviously knowing the answer. Natalee shuttering to think of what will happen next said,

"Um, because I-" I interrupt and get angry with the unhelpful Emperor who is so obviously helping the Wicked Witch of the West.

"SHE IS WEARING THE RUBY SLIPPERS GIVEN TO HER BY Glinda the Good witch!" I stepped closer to the Dragon showing him I do not fear him.

"GIVE ME THOSE SHOES!" Ordered the Dragon/ Emperor Shell.

"Never! I will use them against you and your sister, SHELL THROPP!" Natalee yelled back.

"YOU WILL NOT LIVE TO SEE TOMORROW! YOU WILL BOTH DIE AT THE MERCY OF THE WITCH!" The Emperor cursed us as we attempted to run away to seek help in Gillikin from Glinda. Anthony tried breaking down the massive door but it wouldn't budge, and the Dragon started walking towards them.

"Natalee help me break down the door! It's only made of steel and glass!" We tried kicking and body slamming the double door but it wouldn't budge. When it seemed as though we would be trapped in the Emperor's throne room, small pink bubbles appeared and floated around the door, then popped. We both kicked it as hard as we could and it finally shattered enough to fit us both. The broken glass cut the back of our legs but we still could run. Natalee of course did not slow in the slightest while I was limping. We made it down the corridor and to the Northern Gates to get towards Gillikin, but as we were running, the sky grew black. Back in the Throne room, Shell grinned as he figured out what we were trying to ask his help for and said to himself,

"My sister would love to know about her old Ruby Slippers returning," Meanwhile we both continued to run as the sky grew darker. Our legs became a little pale from the blood loss, and eventually we had to stop and rest. We blankly looked at each other not knowing what to say or how to react after that incident. Natalee broke the silence with the most unlikely question.

"Anthony, I actually don't think she knows about these shoes yet, wouldn't she have already tried to meet us?" A crack of thunder and a lightning bolt soaring up to the sky from the ground in front of us interrupted us.

"Shit Natalee, what are we gonna do?"

It was about 25 feet away so we had somewhat of a space cushion. Suspecting he knew who it was appearing, he instructed Natalee,

"Don't move your feet an inch. Let her make the first move." When the smoke and ash cleared, a green-skinned woman appeared. Her cloak was so ridiculously large it looked as if made for a sailboat. It draped over her shoulders and was gathered at the ground near her feet, too long to be level with the held a large corn-stock broom that was as tall as she was, minus the famous black pointy hat. I stepped in front of Natalee and awaited the confrontation from the Wicked Witch of the West.


	7. Chapter 7

**Elphaba and the Slippers**

I stood between Elphaba, the most powerful and feared Wicked Witch in Oz, and my girlfriend who had the Ruby Slippers on her feet. The only way they would ever come off, we believed, is if she died. For a moment, none of us talked. I was scared out of mind, the Wicked Witch was thin, and very tall. She had a very dark black dress that looked like she had taken her anger over the years out on it. Pieces were torn, and shredded, and thin strips of the fabric dangled from her puffed and pointed sholder boards. Her cape was attached to the back of her cholders, and met the floor evenly. Her gown from the waste down flared out and immitated the affect of a cape even if she wasn't wearing it. Her broom was as tall as from the ground to her neck, and was a classic corn stalk broom. And lastly was her skin that topped her image. A bright lime/forest green shade, and pale red lips, with white tinted eyelids. Then Elphaba's broom lit up in flame, only the part you would use to sweep with and this was not destroying the broom, it was magic. Elphaba spoke first.

"How did you get those shoes?" She asked. The Witch's eyes were fixed on the shoes, widely opened and unblinking. Her fingers curled and uncurled themselves at the bottom of her extended arms resting on her dungeon themed black gown. Her tongue licked her teeth as she began thinking how the shoes could make her even more powerful and unstoppable than she already was. I panicked, and whispered to Natalee trying desperately to be discreet. I knew Natalee would want to answer the Wicked Witch's question, and did not want her to say the wrong thing.

Anthony whispered, "Natalee please don't say her name," referring to Glinda. However, Natalee could not hear him. She stepped into plain sight to the side of him, confronting the Witch herself and said,

"Glinda the Good gave them to me to keep them safe and to stop you!" The Witch broke eye contact with the shoes and her hands formed fists.

"WHAT? AH! GIVE ME BACK MY RUBY SLIPPERS! NO THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, YOU WILL DIE!" She stated running towards them and Anthony stepped in front of Natalee again. He was not going to let anything happen to her.

"YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!" he cried. The Wicked Witch was right next to him and the transported right behind him in a flash.

"Screwy little BRAT! GET OUT OF MY WAY!" She struck him with all her might using her broom, sending him to the ground. The green and black Witch laughed, creating an eerie echo that trembled the plants even. Natalee went over to him and with worried eyes saw that he sprained his ankle in the fall. "How sad. How bout a little FIRE FOR YOUR DEAR FLAME! AH HA!" She waved her hand around in the air above her head and murmured something in a not recognizable language. A fireball landed on the ground in front of Anthony, burning him slightly. He screamed in pain, and then tried to stand up behind the ring of fire now surrounding him.

"I Don't CARE WHAT YOU DO TO ME, JUST LEAVE HER ALONE!" he demanded. Natalee's feet began burning from the shoes being so close to their most desiring sorceress.

"Ah, my feet! You can't have these, I don't care what you try to do!" She warned, even though somewhat bluffing.

"YOU have NO IDEA how much HELL I'VE GONE THROUGH FOR THOSE SHOES! IF I have to CUT OFF YOUR FEET THEN I WILL! GIVE THEM BACK!" she kneeled down on the ground in front of Natalee's feet.

"THEY WON'T COME OFF YOU IDIOT!" yelled Natalee. Anthony thought hard for a moment and then came to a discovery about the slippers.

"Wait a minute, Elphaba you can't kill Natalee, because she has the shoes on. You tried to kill Dorothy and look how that turned out! The only way for you to have them would be for her to want you to have them. Then they would come off with no problem. But we all know that's not going to happen." Elphaba calmed down for a second and then said,

"Well, I may not be able to kill her, but I can KILL YOU!" The Wicked Witch grabbed me, and then screamed while twirlng in place, and her cloak engulfed us both. As the image of only the cloak twirling and steadily lowering to the ground, a giant mushroom cloud of fire soared up from where we had just been. Natalee screamed, the sulfur clogging her throat, and the small shockwave shoving her down.

"NO!" Natalee yelped in protest. Natalee saw the Witch take Anthony away and disappear in flames. When the sulfur disappeared in the air, the sky turned normal again. Natalee got a sick feeling in her stomach. What would happen to Anthony? Where did she take him too and, would she kill or torture him there? After a few minutes of worried thinking and not a lot but a few tears, she calmed herself down and stood up again. She remembered Anthony saying they needed to find Glinda and get some real help. She looked down at her feet. The shoes were glowing and actually giving off heat with the power they experienced. The most unpredictable and powerful things in Oz, were now choosing sides. The fact that their current wielder was having pain gave a clear sign which side they chose. Natalee was having a harder and harder time trying to control them. She thought to her self,

"Please help us Glinda, things have gone to hell," As the sun set, her shoes glowing so extremely, lit the path in front of her as she journeyed on the yellow brick road towards Gillikin, alone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Blue Fire**

Natalee continued the journey that she and Anthony started just the day before. She did not really know where exactly Gillikin was, nor how to get there. Luckily, the yellow brick road also lead to and from the center of Gillikin. She knew about Shiz University, and that it was North of The Emerald City which helped her sense of direction. She also remembered how to find North given the time and looking at the Sun. Therefore, she followed what she believed to be North, and thanks to the Slippers, never got tired. "I am quite hungry though, I wonder how long it's been since the Tornado," she thought to herself. Deciding not to worry about it, she continued on. After what felt like days of endless walking, she could tell she was getting closer and closer to where Glinda would be because she saw more advertisements for her to stay in Office as 'Head of the State of Gillikin'.

The next day, she was getting very uneasy. She could not tell for sure if she was heading in the right direction, and had no way of checking. More than anything, she was alone in a mysterious place that had many things craving what was on her feet, enough to cause pain. She looked around to make sure she was alone and then the daylight was blocked and the wind picked up speed. Immediately she quickened her pace, and looked up at the sky. One of Shell the Emperor Apostle's Dragons was doing his rounds flying through the air. The Dragon was enormous and different from most in that he had no wings, yet flew higher and faster than any other dragon she'd heard of before. At first, she assumed the Dragon was a wild animal in Oz, and thought nothing of it. The Dragon smelled the power of the Ruby Slippers, and shot fire down at her.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed in terror as this weird blue fire shot down at her like bombs from planes in WWII. She managed to dodge all the firebombs, but then the Dragon crash-landed right in front of her, preventing her from further movement."Get out of my way! I have to meet with Glinda!" She declared.

"What is your purpose here?" the Dragon asked.

"My business is my own and- you can talk?" Natalee was stupefied.

"Yes of course I can talk! What, you thought I was a mere dragon? Please! I am second in command of the Seventh Spear Dragon Squad, part of the Eminent Thropp of the City's Home Guard."

"Wow, so then why haven't you killed me if you supposedly try to stop anti-Emperor movements?" Natalee began speculating that this particular Dragon was not pro Emperor, like herself.

"Just between you and me, I don't much care for him either, and am willing to help you in any way, but to save myself, I must pretend to be fighting you or have captured you. That's the thing about Oz, you never know who else may be watching, and it usually is never someone Good." The Dragon could sense that Natalee was scheming something.

"Speaking of Good, can you take me to see Glinda, I really need her help, and you might be able to help me too, I wonder."

"Executive Dragon of the Seventh Spear, at your service misses, uh?"

"Natalee, and thank you."

"Your welcome, and I am named Blue Fire, but you can call me Blue if you like." The Dragon extinguished part of his flaming spine to allow Natalee to sit on his back and ride to Glinda. They went flying 10,000 feet in the air to avoid being seen by anyone. Natalee really enjoyed the flight over Oz via Dragon. It was certainly far more entertaining and exciting than rides at Disney World or flights on Delta, and they were flying through and above the clouds at sunset. Then, the Dragon began to descend, and told Natalee, "The Good and popular Lady Glinda awaits just down there." With a rough crash landing in the Great Gillikin Forest, the Dragon twirled his tail to act as stairs for Natalee to dismount her mighty stead. Instead, and to his surprise, she decided to jump off his back onto the ground, 15 feet below her.

"You underestimate me, I used to be the best horse rider in my county," She smiled smartly at him.

"Well then, noted!" The Dragon winked and flew away completely messing her hair from the enormous wind. She watched him fly away, and when he was out of sight, she turned around, and saw a blond woman in a light pink diamond studded gown, complete with snowflake crown and wand. She stepped closer to begin introductions.

"I'm Glinda of the Arduennas, Head of the State of Gillikin, and servant of all Good things," Natalee replied,

"I am Natalee, the Wielder of the Ruby Slippers," Just before the two women could walk into Glinda's Manor, they heard a faint voice whisper,

"For now…" The voice then cackled, and the two women had goosebumps.


	9. Chapter 9

**Anthony at Kiamo Ko**

Anthony slowly started to wake up. He was lying down on the ground and was cold from the stone and iron all around. He saw a funny man-sized thing with wings walking around, and a broom levitating in the middle of the air. Out of fear from realizing where he was, he passed out on the floor. The second time he woke up, Elphaba was in the room, pacing. Her enormous cape was flowing far behind her, and she kept clenching and un-clenching her fists.

"I have got to get those shoes! Why do all these stupid little children ALWAYS GET MY SHOES?" She was not talking to anyone, even though there were two other beings to talk with. Chistery had known for quite a while that Elphaba had a far less than stable mind psychologically, and this was nothing new for him. For Anthony though, it was like seeing those crazed bears at zoos walking around in circles all day, along with the lunatics in asylums. Throw in a huge temper and black magic, and you get Elphaba. Gambling on her response, Anthony decided to point out her crazed behavior by answering her clearly rhetorical question.

"Because you would use them for selfish needs, that's why! Even if you were going to use them for a good reason, you still would not get them! The slippers do what they want, if they want to make you do something, it'll happen, if not then you'll just sit there!" Elphaba stopped pacing and looked at him.

"Who the hell asked your opinion?" She stopped her pacing and stared at him, her long cape caught up with her a few seconds later.

"I'm just saying that the only reason why the shoes are on my girlfriend's feet is because Glinda-" Anthony tried to explain, but she would not listen.

"GLINDA! OOH!" She grabbed her head as if she had a headache, and then paced even faster. Just the sound of her name made the Witch's nerves rise, and sent chills down her spine. Ever since the first tornado incident, she hated Glinda, with a fiery passion. Anthony tried a little sympathy to test her emotional state.

"Look, I know you have been hurt and that you have been completely mistreated, but-" Not surprisingly, the Witch would have none of it, and she cut him off.

"No STOP! I do not care about all that anymore, I only want to give the citizens of Oz, a little taste of how WICKED A WITCH I CAN REALLY BE! YOU THINK 20 YEARS AGO WAS BAD? THAT WAS NOTHING! IF I HAVE TO BURN DOWN ALL OF OZ, THEN SO BE IT! AND DON'T CODDLE ME; I DON'T NEED YOUR PATHETIC SYMPATHY!" She continued her deranged pacing and Chistery left the stone cold room. Anthony too gave up trying, and started getting really worried about Natalee. He knew Elphaba would not kill him. She was still too smart for that. Instead, she would imprison him, and let Natalee worry to death, thus luring her and the slippers to Kiamo Ko. In the meantime, she would be attacking different parts of Oz, and get away with it because the ruler is her brother. Who is also trying to help Elphaba get the slippers so she can take over Oz to finally get her revenge? After a few days, he was starting to get hungry, and was wondering if she really would end up killing him. Elphaba was in no place for bargaining with, especially if it meant lovers. Having lost her own true love, she could not care less if I was OK or not.

A few weeks later, Elphaba left the castle to go and attack Quadling Country, which left the whole castle to me. Well, it left the whole castle to Chistery and me. So I, like any teen aged boy looking for a distraction from being so worried about his girlfriend, decided to explore the parts of the castle I hadn't seen or been to yet. I saw all sorts of rooms; I saw what looked like a chart room for navigation around Oz, filled with globes and maps and other navigation. Another room looked like a torture chamber; I do not even want to say what I saw in there. This was obviously her hobby room of sorts. Then, at the end of the corridor, I saw a unique door. It was a small door, only 5"5' tall, and was clearly not meant to be opened, ever. It was chained to the wall with iron links the size of my head, and one of those steel balls that are usually strapped to a prisoner's feet so they cannot move was wedging the door locked between the hinges. I immediately knew this was something huge that the Wicked Witch was hiding, or else it wouldn't be locked so extremely. So, I put my ear against the door and tried to listen for anything. I heard the soft murmuring of one voice. Then another, it interrupted the first, then they overlapped and I couldn't understand. I heard something snap behind me and I knew I wasn't supposed to be there, and was afraid The Witch was there. I saw Chistery the leader of the flying monkeys walk past the corridor and I tried to start conversation.

"What are you doing here? You can't go in there, never. No one is to know about her, do you understand? NO ONE!" Chistery's wings spread out and he pointed his arrowhead-tail at me in anger. He was worried that I would discover something about Elphaba that was clearly supposed to be secret. Above all, I now knew it involved at least one woman or girl.

"Know about whom?" I asked him.

"Never mind just don't come by here again, got it?" He turned around and almost started walking away, but then thinking about Natalee again, I stopped him. I told my self to remember what had just happened, I felt like it was going to be a bigger more important thing to know in the future. Elphaba didn't have many things I didn't already know about so this was huge.

"Hey Chistery, does Elphaba still have her looking glass she had as a child?" Chistery raised an eyebrow interested in what I had in mind.

"Yes. Why?" Chistery hesitantly answered.

"I want to use it to see if I can find Natalee, I am really worried about her it's been almost a week now, and plus, SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND DAMN IT! I WANT HER TO BE OK!" Chistery shrugged his shoulders and continued walking.

"Follow me," he said. I did as told and slowly walked behind his large wings. We went down three levels and then he led me to a room that had a huge open window, no glass, perfect for suicide. He left and I saw the crystal in the middle of the room underneath a large black cloth. I took it off and said to it, "Show me Natalee," The crystal began lighting up and an image appeared. It got clearer with each passing second and it was Natalee. I could see she was talking with Glinda about our plan to fight back. I wanted desperately to get back to her. I tried speaking to see if she could hear me, but it was not working. I got tired of trying, and then I looked up. At the window was Elphaba, levitating on her broom, watching me the whole time. She scared me half to death, her cape was so huge and her skin was glowing; illuminated by the moon. I did not expect to see her there and she was pissed, as usual.

"Get out of my room immediately! NEVER TOUCH THAT AGAIN DO YOU HEAR?" I quickly ran out of the room. When she looked at what I was trying to see in the crystal, she heard Natalee say she was the wielder of the Ruby Slippers, and before she mounted her broom again, she said to it, "For now, ma ha" and then flew away.


	10. Chapter 10

**War Declared**

Natalee started walking with Glinda on their way to her Manor to talk about plans. After Elphaba said "For now", Natalee told Glinda, "We need to talk somewhere where Elphaba can't overhear us so we can discuss the details of the plan. This is so annoying, I can't go anywhere with out her laughing or screaming."

"I know the perfect place, stand close to me dear," Natalee took two steps forward and stood right next to Glinda. A large pink bubble engulfed them, and when they appeared and the bubble disappeared again, they were away from the reach of the Wicked Witch and far north of Wittica.

"We are in the Mountains now, Elphaba has no power here. Now then, what did you have in mind?" Glinda sat down in her chair and pulled one out across the table from her for Natalee.

"Well, we need to do three things. First, we need to get Anthony back. He is the only one who knows pretty much all about Oz, sometimes well enough to predict what these people will do, and be accurate. Plus, he's my boyfriend and I don't like him locked away in Elphaba's castle!" Natalee took her seat in the chair that Glinda offered, and looked around. The entire place was immaculate, white, silver and marble and hardwoods were the materials of choice for this place which Glinda said she used in the old days before the Wizard came.

"Quite right," Glinda agreed with Natalee and waited for the rest of the plans' goals.

"Second, Anthony mentioned something about the Conference of the Birds, I think I should go to one of those and see if I can't get any more information about the progress on The Emperor Apostle." Natalee tried to remember the last thing Anthony told her before he was kidnapped. Glinda again agreed and said,

"Very good," she began tapping her fingers nervously on the table. War with the Wicked Witch seemed like the worst idea ever, but it was their only option left. Natalee continued.

"And third, we need an army. Elphaba has three armies, so we need to go one-step further. However, we cannot use the Ozians for the Army, because the Home Guard is made of Dragons, all of Munchkinland is defeated, and the rest of Oz is too terrified to become soldiers. Plus, we don't have the time to train them."

"Well, if you don't want to use people, then what about the Animals? Plenty of them are furious about the things Elphaba does now. I can arrange you to be at this months' Conference, but I should insist that you bring something else magical to protect your self."

"Well I have the Ruby Slippers, but they don't want to help me anymore and they burn my feet when I'm near Elphaba."

"Right, so I think you need something more to better protect you. Let me see..." Glinda began rummaging through all her old magic gear. She pulled out a large M shaped wooden hand carved bow, which sparkled under the moon light. It was shades of green, black purple and blue, and looked very ancient.

"You should have this enchanted bow. It is called the Stonespar Bow. It is the most powerful in its' family. At least from what I have seen it can shoot fire arrows, poison bolts electricity strikes and explosive arrows. It probably has even more to offer, but that is up to you to find out. Second, and most important, your source of protection against the Witch and Shell Thropp; an Emerald from the Emerald mines, that I have been enchanting to become sort of a healer that mends any wound no matter how serious for whomever wears it. Also, I think Anthony needs to have something a little more powerful. I will send him one of my staffs. Don't worry, it's not a snowflake, it's the most powerful staff I have, I only use it for War, but I think it will be of better use by him." She pulled out a staff as tall as from the floor to the middle of the neck. It was all made of wood, and was a pure shade of white, so pure in fact, it appeared to be gleaming. The top part of it was round and imitated the branches of a tree. The shape of the top portion was a concave and convex oval, forming three separate ovals like these joined at the very top. Inside these tree branch ovals, was a large spherical sapphire. Natalee then harnessed her new enchanted bow the Stonespar Bow around her shoulder and back.

"Ok, so, when is the next Conference?" Natalee asked.

"Tomorrow actually, it is always the last Friday of the Month. In answer to your next question, they always meet in the Kumbricia Mountains. But, you know that will bring you to within about 5 miles of Kiamo Ko, right?" Glinda raised her eyebrows and grabbed her staff.

"Yes, and I don't care, this is war now, and we need to be prepared." She draped her Emerald necklace around her neck.

"I'll make the pronouncement my self." Glinda replied. Natalee headed out to find Blue Fire and ask for his support in the War. Glinda sent the Battle Staff to Anthony, and then she left the room and went to her balcony. She put her wand on her neck to amplify her voice, and declared that Oz is in another state of War, and that anybody having ties with or relating to, The Emperor Apostle and his sister The Wicked Witch, is subject to death. She also warned that it would not be over until the Emperor Apostle is overthrown, and the Wicked Witch of the West, has been defeated, or at Kiamo Ko, the Altar Staff appeared on the floor right next to Anthony, and he picked it up and it changed in his hands to be proportionate to his height. He knew Natalee had begun the effort to fight back, and they were at War.


	11. Chapter 11

**Last Stand of Oz part 2: Escape**

Anthony picked up the so called Altar Staff and walked towards the hall to get down all 15 floors to get to the ground level. He kept looking around him making sure he wasn't being watched. Everything was quiet, the only thing he could hear was his own breathing and footsteps down the dark stone corridor. Under cover of nightfall he decided would be best to hide in. The corridor he was walking down was poorly illuminated by torches placed periodically on the stone walls all the way down. Then, one by one, they all went out, and it was completely dark. He turned his head around one more time getting a little nervous that Chistery would be watching. He turned his head back to the front and Elphaba with her arms crossed stood right in front of him, again her skin glowed in the moon light and the effect made her ten times more intimidating. She opened her mouth to speak, but Anthony cut her off.

"I am on my way out to do what I was sent here to do, now if you'll excuse me, you are in my way!" Anthony had other plans for him though,

"You're not going anywhere my fine gentleman! you can leave when I say you can! AND THAT'S WHEN I'M WEARING THE RUBY SLIPPERS AND GLINDA HAS DIED!" Elphaba opposed him.

"I WON'T LET YOU!" I screamed. The Wicked Witch had broom lit on fire again, ready to fight in any minute. I pulled out the staff and it lit red as well.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN CHALLENGE ME? YOU POOR UNFORTUNATE FOOL!" The Witch swirled her free hand around, and zapped me with lightning bolts coming from her fingers, and I was unconscious. She dragged my motionless body down to the second dungeon, and locked me away. She also stole my staff and hid it in the hallway, and told Chistery to keep watch on me. When she climbed back up the stairs, heading to her main room where the large glassless window was, Glinda the Good waited.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT YOU PATHETIC, FAT DRESSED, FAIRY!" The Witch snapped.

"Nice to see you too. Oh by the way how is your Grandmother doing? Enjoying the warm sun in Munchkinland? Or maybe she's vacationing in Quadling Country. You know, the place where she raised you." Glinda was about to make a point, and the Witch could already sense it, so she played along in this game of sarcasm.

"Yes, she bought an apartment there, and now only visits me." The Witch turned and grinned to herself. Glinda's pearl necklace turned black and Glinda frowned upon seeing this. The change in color from white to black in her pearl is important, it means someone has lied to her.

"TELL THE TRUTH! WHY HAS MOMBI GONE TO GLIKKUS? IT COULDN'T BE TO KIDNAP TIP, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WICKED! WHICH LAST I CHECKED, WAS YOUR JOB!" Glinda spouted.

"AND WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR JOB? STEALING MY FAMILY RELICS? OR JUST HAVING THEM MURDERED! THOSE SHOES ARE STILL MINE, THEY WERE MADE IN MY FAMILY, AND I AM THE NEXT ONE WHO NEEDS THEM!"

"MY JOB IS THE SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF OZIANS THANK YOU VERY MUCH! THEREFORE, YOU SHALL NEVER HAVE THE RUBY SLIPPERS! EVER!"

"IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME BACK MY SLIPPERS, I WILL RAISE HELL IN OZ! YOU HAVE NO IDEA, WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH TO TRY AND GET THOSE SHOES, AND NOW, THAT WRETCHED LITTLE BONITA GIRL, GETS TO WALK OFF WITH THEM!"

"YOU'RE DAMNED RIGHT SHE DID! THE DAY YOU GET THOSE SHOES IS THE DAY ALL OF OZ OVERTURNS, AND ALL HAVE PERISHED UNDER YOUR SELFISH GREEDY WILL!"

"I SWEAR ON NESSA'S GRAVE I WILL PERSONALLY TAKE THE PLEASURE OF DISMEMBERING EVERY INCH OF THAT STUPID GIRL/ BOY, AND THEN THROW YOU INTO THE DEADLY DESERT!" The green skinned Wicked Witch laughed hard at her come back, and Anthony leaned against the iron poles in his cellar, he could hear them screaming at each other from down the hall. I wanted to listen now that they were talking about important things like this person called Tip, could that be who is in the dungeon? What about this Mombi person? Meanwhile back in that room, Glinda got confused in the midst of all this yelling and calmed down for a bit. Elphaba slammed her broom on the ground as she walked around not liking the situation, making cracks in the stone from her anger.

"What do the slippers have to do with Ozma? I was only- WAIT A MINUTE! YOU ARE WORKING WITH SOMEONE ELSE AREN'T YOU? THAT'S WHY YOU WANT THE SLIPPERS, SO YOU CAN PROVE SOMETHING TO THEM! TELL ME WHERE TIP IS, OR I WILL HAVE THE SHOES DESTROYED! EVERY LAST RUBY ELIMINATED. DO I MAKE MY SELF CLEAR?" Glinda declared.

"I WILL NEVER TELL YOU! YOU WANT TO KNOW THE FUTURE? ANTHONY WILL DIE, NATALEE WILL BE EATEN, AND YOU WILL BE RIPPED TO SHREDS! THAT'S YOUR FUTURE, AND IT'S NOT TOO FAR OFF MY PRETTY, NOT AT ALL! NOW OUT OF MY CASTLE AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" The Wicked Witch aimed her broom at Glinda getting ready to throw her out of Kiamo Ko, but Glinda said one last thing.

"I WILL BRING HER BACK ELPHABA, MARK MY WORDS! ONE DAY SHE WILL REIGN AGAIN, AND YOU WILL BE VANQUISHED, FOREVER!"

"GET OUT!" She slammed her broom on the floor, and clapped her hands together. Glinda and I were transported out of her castle, me with my staff thanks to Glinda's foresight. We were down below near the Vinkus river. Despite the fact that Glinda and Elphaba basically just spilled the beans about who was locked away in that dungeon, I never knew it yet because I was unconscious from the Witch's curse. Glinda was muttering to herself, but I made out a couple sentences.

"Let me see, there's her, Mombi, Locasta, The Evil Princess, who else could there be? She must be up to something else, other than who's in that dungeon..." Glinda was very preoccupied, and sat down near a tree.

"What?" Anthony was on alert now.

"Oh, nothing, just me rambling. So, I see you survived the Witch's castle so far,"

"Yes, I am still worried about Natalee though, I miss her and I know she must be worried about me, what is she up to now, is the plan under way yet?"

Anthony walked closer to Glinda and asked her when they could begin the actual battle plans as it appears, the Witch can strike at any point.

"Anthony, unfortunately we still don't have an army. Natalee is working on that though, I gave her some of my old magic gear to help her in her quest and that's when I gave you one of my staffs too. She is on her way to attend the Conference of the Birds tomorrow." Glinda answered. "I will meet her there, in the meantime Glinda please watch over her for me, I would be there to protect her my self but I can't." The torches lit themselves again and the hallway was lit. "She's in good hands, don't worry. Now I hate to cut things short, but I really must go, Natalee is on her way looking for on of the Emperor's Dragons, she thinks he may be willing to help us out too. Farewell and Good luck friend," She waved and then disappeared. "Goodbye," he answered. As Glinda floated away, he saw a flash on the windows of Kiamo Ko. He continued walking down the corridor and made it to the front Gate. Normally there would be a spell on the perimeter allowing only Elphaba in and out, but Glinda had taken away that spell, hence the flash. He used his staff and slammed it on the ground in front of him causing a bridge to appear over the river that surrounded the castle. He began to walk and headed South, towards Kumbricia's Pass for the Conference of the Birds. When he cleared the river, he heard a strange noise coming from behind him. He turned around holding the staff with both hands angling it diagonally to him in defense mode. Nothing. I looked up, and it was the Flying Monkeys! I ran hard to get away from them, looking for a place in the mountains to hide. I found a pillbox in the rock and squeezed in. As I gazed through the narrow opening, I could see them. All black with blue faces, tails with arrowheads attached, and claws from the Tuft-Chinned Lions. They were not the monkeys like he thought, these had been sickeningly altered, for War. Perfect scouts for the Witch, allowing her to attack one section of Oz, while another is terrorized at the same time. He couldn't stop thinking about the poor Munchkins and what torture they must have gone through now that he saw what the Monkeys looked like. As the last one flew past, I waited a few more seconds to make sure I wouldn't be seen by them and then climbed out. "I have got to hurry, that was way too close a call for comfort," he said to himself.


	12. Chapter 12

**Lovers Reunited**

As Anthony continued walking, the sky grew darker and darker until it was so dark that he couldn't see in front of him past six feet. In the Kells there was no light. Only darkness. So, he used his staff again and the sphere Sapphire inside the tree branch ovals illuminated bright blue, showing the way ahead.

Meanwhile, Natalee was headed in the same direction. Although with her starting point being in Mount Runcible, she was far from where Anthony was. She had only two things on her mind. First, find Blue Fire. Second, meet with Anthony at the Conference of the Birds. Glinda upon her return from Kiamo Ko recently, filled her in on what had happened and that he was alright. She reached the Northern Border of the Thousand Year Grasslands in the Great Kells Mountain range, and looked into the sky.

"Blue Fire! Where are you? I need you're help! BLUE!" She called his name out at first with only wind as a response. Then, high in the sky coming from the east, she saw a blue Dragon soaring through the air towards her.

"Executive Dragon of the Seventh Spear at your service Miss Natalee, how may I help you?" Blue politely offered his assistance.

"I need to go to the conference of the birds, it's in Kumbricia's Pass and Anthony is going to meet us there, we need to hurry please!" Natalee was rushing to get to the meeting on time, if she missed the Conference, there would be no other way until next month to forge an Army of all the Animals of Oz. Blue realized this.

"Hop on I have been trying out some new speeds today," he said. Natalee mounted him but told him to not take off yet.

"Wait, before we go, I need to ask you something. My plan is to eventually overthrow the Emperor Apostle Shell Thropp, defeat the Wicked Witch Elphaba, and finally return home again." Her shoes burned her feet at the thought of killing the Witch."

"Well, you are pretty busy then aren't you? SO are you asking me to join your cause and become a rebel to overthrow the Unnamed God's anointed Emperor and to kill the most evil woman in the world? YES COUNT ME IN!" Natalee laughed and smiled that the Dragon was so loyal. She corrected a statement he made though.

"Not evil, insane. I must ask also for more Dragons like you to form a sort of Anti- Emperor Army in secret of course," she proposed.

"Yes, I can do that not a problem. While most of us Dragons are loyal to the Emperor, there are some like me who see the truth and want him for dinner!" Blue smiled and leaped off the ground.

"Good, work on that while I'm in the Conference." After a few seconds of flight, she realized how beautiful Oz can be, the swift green country side of Munchkinland, the huge impressive Mountains of the Vinkus, the industry and big city of the Gillikin, and the Emerald City glowing brilliantly in the center, it truly was a magical land. Then she noticed her Emerald necklace was blinking. She looked around, and down below saw the white wooden staff that Glinda gave to Anthony light in it's trademark blueness.

"Stop, land here I see Anthony!" Natalee's heart began racing, excited to see him safely and away from the Witch. Blue coiled around to land in exactly the spot Natalee requested, and with an enormous thud, landed right in front of Anthony. Natalee hopped off and ran to him. With tears in their eyes, they embraced.

"Natalee, I was so worried about you, I tried to check up on you with her crystal but it didn't work!" Anthony hugged her tightly.

"Anthony, I missed you so much, I figured she was going to kill you in there! I love you so much!" Natalee hugged him back even tighter. They both hugged and in the excitement of seeing each other after so long of being apart, made out. Anthony caressed her back and waist with his hands as he kissed the woman he loved so much. She kissed him back and slowly she realized, it was her love for him that made the Emerald necklace blink, telling her she was close to him. Blue started to get annoyed and rolled his eyes.

"Come on you two, this is save Oz time, not make baby time! Goodness." Then abruptly, she pulled away,

"OK we gotta move fast Anthony hop on let's go!" She ran back to Blue.

"But, we… you…Oh alright! Gosh!" disappointed, Anthony followed behind Natalee and mounted Blue Fire. "Natalee does this Dragon have a name?" He asked.

"I am Blue Fire, but you can call me Blue if you like, nice to finally meet you Anthony," Blue responded.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied.

The Dragon leaped off the ground and continued flying South towards Kumbricia's Pass it would be a while before they got there and Anthony told Natalee to get comfy. He gently pulled her towards him, having her head rest on his chest as he laid back on the Dragon. He held her hands with his and kissed her head saying,

"I love you Natalee, I really missed you and was even more worried about you."

"I missed you too Anthony, and you're the one who was locked away in the Witch's castle, how stressed out do you think I was?"

"Well we have each other now, let's not get separated again shall we?" he smirked.

"Agreed, let's shake on it." They both laughed and then slept in each other's arms as they made their way to Kumbricia's Pass. Anthony suddenly started thinking about that highly controversial conversation earlier between Elphaba and Glinda. "She will reign again" he remembered, who the heck was the she? Suddenly he remembered. Other than Glinda, there was only one more person that has a story of getting the Royal Oz crown but then having something happen and loosing it. There was only one person who could "reign again" meaning that after years and years of being mysteriously gone, could still be alive and come back. At the point that he knew the person's name, I shouted the answer.

"OZMA TIPPETARIOUS! THAT'S IT!" I woke Natalee up and still not really conscious she said,

"What? What or who is Ozma? What are you talking about? Just go back to sleep honey." She rolled over and went back to sleep. Anthony smiled widely at the thought of possibly meeting the one person who is left alive with Ozian Royalty blood.

"I'll tell you later when you are awake. This is huge Natalee."

A few hours later, they were woken up by an enormous thud, they had just landed in the Pass, and the first of their three goals was about to begin, the important meeting with the Animals.


	13. Chapter 13

**Conference of the Birds**

Anthony grabbed his staff and dismounted Blue. He waited for Natalee to grab and harness her Bow and then helped her down. They apparently were the first ones to arrive at the meeting because no one else was there. Anthony went over to Blue before he flew away.

"Blue are you sure the meeting is today?" he asked.

"Yes of course it is today, always the last Friday. Now I do apologize, but I need to go and find more Dragons to join our cause, per order of Natalee, Oz-speed my friends," with that Blue flew away towards the Emerald City. Even though the time was midday, there was absolutely no sunlight at all. So, Anthony's staff lit up blue this time, illuminating the vast vacant Kumbricia's pass, and showed them just how high they really were in these mountains. Still confused about where exactly the Conference takes place, they sat down and started thinking. A few moments later, something caught Natalee's attention.

"Do you hear that? It sounds like hooves!" Natalee looked around and then saw a massive heard of Horses galloping towards them. Among the Horses were also Lions, Bears, Unicorns, Deer, Rhinoceroses, Goats and Cows. Natalee started smiling at the thought of meeting all these Animals especially the Unicorns and Horses. Anthony looked up at the sky and saw three massive formations of Peacocks, Eagles, Toucans, and one that seemed to be the leader of the flying ones, a white Swan. The Animals were very good at keeping formation in the air and on the ground. They moved together as one unit, a team of invincible noble beings. The sight of such impressive Animals brought a sense of pride and joy in Natalee and Anthony.

"These Animals are so beautiful, this is awesome!" Anthony said excitedly.

"I know, and look at all the Horsies!" Natalee was bursting at the seams with anticipation of meeting the Horses and Unicorns. Slowly, the Animals all gathered around and one of each Animal went to the center. They all gathered around the White Swan, and started the meeting. They spoke in their own language, and finally noticed us. They looked like they were talking about us because they would look at each other and then point at us. The white Swan stepped forward.

"Greetings fellow Ozians. I am Gervirah, Leader of the Birds. As you can see, we are not all Birds. With the Emperor Demon, I mean Emperor Apostle killing our families, naturally, we decided to expand and allow all Animals safe Haven. So who are you two?"

"I am Natalee, and this is-" I stepped forward.

"I am Anthony," He declared. The Swan looked confused and a little afraid.

"What brings you here?" He asked.

"We are forming an army. Our mission is to overthrow the Emperor, defeat the Wicked Witch, and if at all possible, get back home." Natalee answered. She was beginning to get impatient. Anthony could sense this and cut right to the chase.

"We were wondering, hence why we're here, if you and you legions of Animals, would be willing to join our cause and fight for Oz. Lady Glinda the Good is helping us." There was a pause, and Gervirah spoke again.

"Prove it," Gervirah did not believe that we were being helped by the Good Witch of the North, too good to be true.

"I am wearing the Ruby Slippers that Glinda gave me." Natalee explained. Gervirah looked down at her feet and saw the ruby slippers. He stared into them for a while, and did not blink. The shoes started getting brighter and brighter, and Gervirah had a crazed look in his eyes. Natalee knew what was happening and said, "Hey Gervirah, snap out of it!" Anthony snapped his fingers in his face and then threw his jacket on the shoes. The Swan shook his head and then Anthony asked him again,

"So are with us, will you fight?"

"Yes, we will fight to the last breath and will never stop until the Witch is dead and the Emperor is gone!" Natalee and Anthony looked at each other and nodded their heads. Things were going very well for them so far.

"Good! Now, go take your army to Gillikin and tell Glinda you have joined us, she will suit you all up and give you magic weapons and healing powers." Natalee instructed Gervirah, who went over to the rest of the Animals and told them the same. When he was halfway to the other Animals, he stopped and faced Anthony and Natalee again.

"Now wait a minute, there is one more thing. I am leader of the Animals, but because some of these Animals are on land, I can only efficiently command the Flying ones and then all the Land ones except for the Horses and Unicorns." Gervirah reported. Anthony smiled and looked at Natalee.

"Natalee would you do the Honor?" He turned to Natalee.

"GLADLY!" she was thrilled to get to lead the Horses and Unicorns, they were her favorite and this meant they were officially her responsibility now. Natalee walked over to the Horses and Unicorns. When she arrived at their meeting spot, they all saw her shoes and panicked. The Horses were screaming, bucking, and very afraid of them. The Unicorns were flapping their wings trying to shove her away.

"It's ok guys, I'm not going to hurt you!" She tried to reassure them but no one listened. She got irritated, and stood right in front of them, in a way that all of them would have unobstructed views despite their different perspectives. "ALRIGHT NOW! EVERYBODY SETTLE DOWN AND LISTEN TO ME!" With that, the Horses and Unicorns did not need to be told twice, and calmed down. After a few moments of Natalee making sure they would listen and not freak out again, there was an awkward pause. One of the Unicorns neighed, breaking the silence. "Ok, that's better. Now, I am on a mission here. Glinda the Good has brought me and my boyfriend Anthony," She pointed to him from across the field. "-to stop the Emperor, and defeat the Witch. My question to you is, will you join our army, taking me as your Leader, obeying only my commands and helping each other complete our goals?" The Horses and Unicorns all looked at each other and then the largest white Unicorn spoke.

"We will fight to the end, make no mistake. I am Pegasus by the way." Natalee bowed her head and then looked over at Anthony to see his was standing next to Blue and holding his hands together in front of him, resting on the staff. She saw him kneel down and then he spoke.

"Blue Fire, the duty falls upon me to stand up in this time of War and take command to ensure the safety of Oz. Will you take me as Leader of all the Good Dragons?" He looked up at Blue and waited for his response.

"The honor would be mine if you would." Then the stone in the center tree branch shaped ovals of the Altar staff lit up bright blue, just like the fire on Blue's back. Natalee saw what was happening and went over to him, her Emerald brighter than ever.

"Alright, we have armies, now all we have to do is suit up in armor and then, we fight. WE should go back to Glinda and tell her what's happened, this is great Anthony."

"I think we may win this!" as Anthony finished his sentence, Blue let out a huge roar and shot fire up into the sky. Natalee mounted Pegasus, the God of all Unicorns, and Anthony mounted Blue Fire. Together, they flew to Gillikin to meet with Lady Glinda the Good to be briefed about their battle plan.


	14. Chapter 14

**Armor and a Plan**

With a giant thud, the two Animals landed in Mount Runcible to find Glinda and the Animal Army. Natalee and Anthony both dismounted their steeds holding hands tightly and wearing or holding their special weapons. Anthony saw Glinda and she looked very different. She was still wearing her crown, holding a staff that looked like a sword, and the hand guard was the familiar snowflake. Her gown was still the same cut, puffy short sleeves, and a corseted torso, with a bell-shaped skirt. However, this particular one was bright red, and had gold symbols of her former Shield and "Oz" figure that she had as ruler before Shell took over. Anthony and Natalee saw the other Animals who were all wearing the Emerald necklace she gave to Natalee and they had their very own weapons special to their abilities.

"Glinda it is time. We need to get our own armor and then start planning for the battles." Natalee demanded.

"Come with me dears," she motioned with her sword-staff for us to come, and we did. When we stepped inside, there were two suits of Armor right next to us.

"Anthony this one is for you, it is a dark blue color because this magical armor conforms its self to whoever is to wear it. It will bend and flex just as well as your skin, and never break." Anthony put on his Armor, which was very light and saw that his came with a cape. His armor was composed of large bowl shaped shoulder boards that had large flowing feathers on it, pointing to the sides. There was a large sapphire plated steel breastplate, and had pure steel gauntlets, that were completely flesh and seamless. His back was paired with a white cape that attached to the back of his shoulder boards and went down to his knees, the side shown to others while worn, had the emblem of "Oz" in gold on it. The look was in the Unnamed God's favor, and matched the sapphire of his staff.

"Natalee this one is for you, it is a purple color to repel anyone who comes to within a foot of your feet to get those shoes. It will also conform to your skin, and both yours and his will protect you from burns." Natalee put on her Armor and then looked at Anthony. She liked the look of the Armor, how well it fit, and its color. Dark purple being her favorite. It was light lilac in hue, and made of a hybrid material, being both hard as stone, and flexible as rubber. Imported from Ev, it was high in quality, and very rare. The armor itself only composed of steel gauntlets, a breastplate and hand guards. The helmet was a perfect sphere accompanied by twin antennae that could rise or lower depending on what the wearer wanted. The steel portions utilized sharp angles and round surfaces. The look was feminine and imposing. Sure to inspire doubt in all of her future foes.

"Ok now let's start planning our attacks. I think we need to get her out of The Vinkus." Anthony finished adjusting his armor and then stepped closer to Glinda and Natalee.

Glinda said, "That way she won't have the home field advantage."

"Yeah but it's not as though she's been staying in Kiamo Ko for most of her life and never coming out except for attacking right?" Natalee asked.

"No, that's exactly what she has been doing. That's why we say she's insane, we're not kidding, she has clinically lost her mind." Glinda answered, and Natalee dropped her jaw in disbelief for a second.

"Ok so, what about using the endless lands of Quadling Country?" Anthony suggested.

"No it's too hot and vast, our armies will be out of shape for fighting before we even get there. Better yet, why don't we use Shiz, and make it act like a fort?" Natalee suggested. "That just might work! How about it Glinda? It's easy to defend, good for attacking, and would give us a better view of the Wicked Witch's armies too." Anthony asked.

"Yes it's settled then; we will mobilize our Troops to Shiz University and set base down there." Glinda went outside and told the Animals to re-muster down at Shiz. When Anthony and Natalee went outside, they were shocked. Glinda was stunned, unmoving, and covering her mouth in saddend terror.


	15. Chapter 15

**The End of Shell**

When Anthony grabbed his staff and ran outside next to Glinda and Natalee, he gasped. After the crack of thunder and a flash of flames, The Witch appeared standing high above us in the trees. She was not alone however. In her right hand that she held up high for us all to see was the head of Gervirah, the White Swan, leader of most of the Animals.

"I warned you Glinda, if I didn't get those shoes, GERVIRAH WOULD BE DEAD!" The Witch held the poor White Swans' still bleeding head in her left hand, and her blood dripping broomstick that obviously did the job in her other. All the Witch did was laugh and Natalee and I were both disgusted and furious. Cackling, she threw the head down and it landed at Glinda's feet. Glinda walked closer to The Wicked Witch and held her staff out in front.

"Stop this at once Elphaba! Go back to the shadows of the Vinkus!" She stared right into the Witch's eyes, and waited for a dual, but instead the Witch snapped her fingers, and Bael came galloping through the air growling and hissing. Anthony came into the Witch's view now, and she stopped laughing and glared at me. Natalee and I shared looks of intolerance, and encouraged the other to fight. The Witch turned to me and spoke, Bael stopped at her command.

"YOU! You dare to show your repulsive fat face to me after what you did? YOU THINK YOU GOT COURAGE?"

"YOU DARE COME HERE AND MURDER ONE OF OUR GENERALS! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" I answered.

"YOUR EXECUTIONER!" The Witch laughed and began firing multiple fireballs at me, and I started running trying to avoid them.

Then one of the other Dragons that were with the Witch started spitting constant streams of flames out all around him killing or harming our army. Anthony was enraged and had had enough of this.

"ATTACK THE GREEN WITCH! DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!" Anthony pointed the end of his Altar staff at the Witch and fired a bolt of flame and electricity at her. Everyone began running around trying to surround the Witch, but she just summoned her broom, and levitated over us, firing fireballs from above, and using her other hand shooting down electricity.

"YOU STOP THIS AT ONCE!" he ordered. Natalee ran to his side and fired an arrow at the Witch, just as her ice arrow head reached where the Witch was, the Wicked Witch had disappeared again, cackling.

"DAMN IT! SHE GOT AWAY!" Natalee screamed. Glinda came running over.

"We have to move quickly! Her armies are on their way! Where are those Dragons you promised? She obviously took the rest, come on Blue give us a hand here!" Blue Fire who was outside protecting the Animals told her,

"They won't be ready until tomorrow, but don't worry, there are more than enough on our side." Anthony slammed his staff on the ground and the tree saphire lit blue. Just then, the blue flame turned to black and red mushroom clouds, then went back to the normal gem. The skies turned black and red which we all felt was an allusion to blood spilt. it was weird and random, but Glinda took it as a sign from above that we neede to hurry up and get a move on. A fleet of 50 enormous Dragons, each one dwarfing Blue, filled the sky. All of them were different shapes and sizes, but they were all black as sin, and had either red or green eyes. The biggest one, 100 feet tall and 30 feet wide, lead the way, and struck the ground with such force that a few Trees fell over and Natalee and I heard them cry as they fell. As the huge Dragon lowered his head he said in a very raspy low toned voice,

"I am Bael, Leader of the Dragons. His Ozness the Emperor Apostle of Oz has come to see you." As the Dragon finished his creepy introduction, he licked his teeth between words, as if looking at us like meals. He spoke in a very raspy tone, and added an a sound to most of his word endings. Shell Thropp stepped down from Bael. He was wearing a dark red trench coat, and had black pants and combat boots. He walked towards Anthony and said,

"So, you think you can stop me and my sister? Well,let me see now. You have Rhinos, Parrots, Horses, Unicorns, and one Dragon. Oh and don't forget the sluty whore over here, and the miserable old, COW, KNOWN AS GLINDA, THE WORST EXCUSE FOR A WITCH EVER!"

"YOUNG MAN!" Glinda raised her wand, and almost chopped his head off, but controlled her self.

"What do you want, if you have nothing importnat to do, keep your forked tounge behind your teeth and rid us of your stupidity!" Anthony said.

"What is this? You cannot win! Do you know who my sister is? More importantly, do you know who I AM? WE ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN ANYTHING!"

"Yeah because The Wicked Witch is known for sharing, definately. Yeah you go on living in your own little messed up version of reality and let us do our mission. GOT IT SONNY?" Anthony said again. Natalee and Glinda could tell he was perhaps a little sexist, and they for obvious reasons, really did not like him, more so than before.

"It's useless, the Wicked Witch and I have an army that will sweep away your pride. You and your precious girlfriend, will die a most dreadful death. Of course we will kill her first to allow you the joy of watching." Glinda grew tired of listening to this snake hissing at her and told him,

"I HAVE AN ARMY TOO SIR! I HAVE A FORCE BEHIND ME THAT WILL MAKE YOU WISH YOU STAYED IN YOUR RAT HOLE!" Glinda held her snowflake wand at Shell's neck, threatening to kill him at any moment, but instead she shoved him away with it really hard, causing the man to choke and cough for air. It was almost as if he had learned nothing from that, and he saw Natalee and walked closer to her. He ran his fingers through her hair and said,

"You are quite beautiful my dear, please won't you let mighty and powerful Emperor Thropp take better care of you?" Natalee kicked him in the groin and Anthony twirled his staff in his hand and did it fast enough to slit a deep gash in his back. Shell screamed in pain, and then straightened up. "You damned FOOL! YOU CAN NOT WIN!" The Emperor claimed, and grabbed my throat lifting me off the ground. Straining to find oxygen, I managed to say,

"YEAH, YOU'RE A FAKE AND A LIAR WHO HAD HIS HANDS ON MY GIRL! NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, OR I WILL KILL YOU!" Anthony was furious and stood in front of Natalee trying to protect her better. From behind, Anthony felt the heat of fire, as the Wicked Witch appeared again, but he didn't know it yet. Glinda tried to scream but her mouth was covered by Elphaba's hand and then appeared right in front of Natalee and Anthony. I then whisper to Natalee,

"You take Shell, I get the Witch and free Glinda, sound good?"

"Let's do it. ON my mark, NOW, ATTACK!" I immediately shot a steady stream of lightning and ice at the Witch's hand and it stunned her enough to let go of Glinda and stop for a minute. As I did that, Natalee shot three arrows, one poison, one fire and one explosive at Shell. Before the arrows reached Shell, The Wicked Witch stepped in their way defending her brother, with her mouth open eating the arrows. The arrows did not harm the Witch at all. Anthony continued firing plasma bolts at Shell, moving around behind Elphaba, and three of them dug deeply into The Emperor's back, and he screamed in agony. Shell, the Holy Emperor of Oz, died, bleeding to death out of his back, on the ground. The Wicked Witch went down on her knees, devastated that another member of her family had been murdered.

"NOOOOO! I WILL NOT LET MY FAMILY BE MURDERED ANY LONGER, I WILL RIP YOU INSIDE OUT AND WHEN IM DONE, I'LL THROW YOU ALL INTO THE DEADLY DESERT!"

She pulled out her broom and turned the wooden handle of it into a blade. As she held it by the bristles at the bottom, she pointed it at Anthony.

"YOU CURSED BOY! YOU AND your pathetic little friends will die horribly! I LOOK FORWARD TO FEEDING YOUR GIRLFRIEND TO MY BROTHER'S DRAGONS!" The Witch screamed at us, and rapidly walked over to where the head of Gervirah was. She kicked the head from Gervirah's poor body and Bael began eating it, ripping it apart like a Great White shakes it's head after biting his prey. Glinda slammed her staff on the ground, and all of us except her were forced down on the ground.

"ELPHABA! Leave this place, OR BE PREPARED TO FIGHT TILL DEATH DO US PART! BE GONE! WICKED ONE, BACK TO THE SHADOWS WITH YOU!" Glinda the Good then pointed her wand at the neck of Wicked Witch, ensuring she would leave this place.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE ALL READY FOR ME DON'T YOU? WELL BY THE END OF THIS I WILL HAVE THOSE SHOES! I WILL GET MY REVENGE, AND YOUR STUPID BOYFRIEND!" The Wicked Witch was looking right into Natalee's eyes, and stared holes of fire into her head. Natalee screamed and moaned as the Witch strengthened the pain in her feet caused by the Ruby Slippers. She cackled as she held her broom upside down and then disappeared in an explosion of fire, her laugh echoing across the now silent mountain range. The black Wicked Dragons flew away and the sky remained dark this time. Natalee was terrified, and now knew that her life was in danger, The Wicked Witch would hunt her down until she got those shoes. Anthony looked at Natalee and made sure she was alright. She looked like she was in severe pain.

"It's the shoes, they know what's going on, and they're burning my feet so bad Anthony, it won't stop. I think they're trying to make me take them off by torture." Anthony hugged her, their armor made a cling noise as they touched.

"Don't worry Natalee everything will work out, we just need to get to Shiz. Once we pass this forest, we will be ok." Glinda took her wand- sword and walked with them, towards Shiz and the Animals followed. As they followed the yellow brick road together, Natalee's shoes glowed in the darkness of the day, along with her emerald necklace. Glinda lead the way, and Anthony held Natalee's hand tight as the forest looked a little different. They thought it was the wind, but could feel nothing. They thought it must be the Animals muttering to themselves, but none of them spoke. Something was awake, and moving towards them. Shiz was 10 miles away, they were alone in the uncharted Haunted Forest. Anthony held his staff tightly, and Natalee kept her bow close.


	16. Chapter 16

**To Shiz**

Natalee and I slowed our pace to be able to pay closer attention to our increasingly unfamiliar and eerie surroundings. Glinda looked frequently from left to right, and up and down at the trees. She was trying to remember this strange place and why it wasn't on the maps. Glinda got irritated with herself, but then smiled when she saw Anthony and Natalee linking arms as they walked behind her on the yellow brick road. Anthony then decided he should speak up about his Ozma discovery, Glinda could tell him details and Natalee needed to know too.

"Ok Natalee, do you want to know what I was talking about when I we were going to the conference of the birds a few weeks ago?"

"Oh, yes go ahead tell me now." Natalee waited for the supposedly big news.

"Ozma is in The Witch's castle! She exists! But their is another wicked person who is helping Elphaba keep her there, Elphaba's Grandmother!" Natalee didn't know how to react, she didn't know what he was talking about.

"What?" She said.

"Lady Glinda tells the story much better, if you would please," Glinda slowed to be side by side with Natalee and began the story.

"Ok, well, there is in-fact an Oz bloodline, I mean, a royal family for Oz. For females, their title is Ozma and then their name, males is Oz and then a couple adjectives describing them in one sentence. Well, the most recent had a little rough patch. Decades of years ago, Ozma Lurline married a man named Oz (regent) Pastoria. I say regent because he was Oz by marriage, not blood. Well, one day, Ozma gets pregnant and has a baby girl, who now being princess, should have been next in line to the throne. Then she mysteriously vanishes, leaving eight year-old Tippeterius to be Queen. But, a man named Oscar Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs otherwise known as, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, came down here on his famed baloon. He was immediately acclaimed as the most wonderful person, so funny and smart, and capable of magic. Not true, he was an illusionist at a Kansas carnival, hence the balloon. Well, anyway we all know how much he craved political power, so he kidnapped the one person who he saw could threaten his fake power the most, Ozma. He took her at eight years old to Glikkin and sent her to a Witch named Mombi. You may know her as Nanny, The Witch's grandmother. Well, she made a deal with him and vise-verse. She would raise Ozma as her own child and prevent her from ever becoming Queen, by turning her into a boy. In turn, the Wizard would teach Mombi his illusionist tricks and she would teach him the limited old magic she knew. So, now more commonly reffered to as Tip short for Tippetarius her real name, she is a boy and still with Nanny Mombi in the Witch's castle Kiamo Ko. That is what's behind the door Anthony. And how do I know this? Do you see this pearl necklace I have? Note its pure white sparkling color. If someone tells a lie to or near me, it will immediately turn black telling me such. When I heard the Wizard kidnapped Ozma, I immediately went to Glikkus to interrogate Mombi and try to force her to change Ozma back to her normal form, if she were to stay in the male form, eventually she would lose her powers, and stay a man. I can't and couldn't let that happen so I tried to force Mombi, but she wouldn't budge, and then The Wizard demanded more and more power which brought Dorothy here, and set all of this in motion from the start. Phew, that was a lot to say!" She waited for Natalee's response.

"Wow! That is incredible! I actually was beginning to think Ozma either didn't exist, or was dead already, simply because it has been so long since anyone has actually seen her. But now that she is known to be real and alive or I guess I should say he, then that's great! We have a way home now!" Anthony cut in.

"Well, we still have the war with the Wicked Witch plus her armies, so we shouldn't deal with this Ozma topic anymore until after the War is over, agreed?" Everybody said yes, and we continued walking, silently, wanting to sleep but knowing we had to press on. The next day, Glinda finally remembered where they were and the smile left over from all that talk of Ozma, was missing from her face and now replaced with fear.

"This is the Dead Forest. I remember it now." Glinda grew pale, slowly realizing with each passing second exactly where they were. Anthony looked more confused than afraid, and held Natalee close.

"The Dead Forest? I have never heard of that before. Is it named that because all the trees are dead or something?" Anthony asked.

"No, it's definitely alive that's for sure." Glinda answered, rather reassuringly.

"If it's alive, then why call it dead?" Natalee pointed out. Glinda never answered. After a few seconds, she stopped walking. We heard a rustling in the leaves, and felt large vibrations on the ground.

"Shhh!" Glinda wanted all to be silent.

"RUN FOR COVER! EVERYBODY MOVE MOVE!" Glinda ordered all of us to run as hard as we could the rest of the way to Shiz. Out of the forest, one of the trees was walking down the path, groaning and moaning as he took each step. She was not a normal sized Tree, rather she was about 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide. The Rhinoceroses and Cows were trying to ram the Tree to make it distracted giving us time to flee, while the Birds grabbed rocks and other things to drop on her from above. The Horses and Dragons worked together too, Blue used his fire bombs to form a barricade of blue fire to trap the tree, to contain her in one spot while the Horses raced in circles around the fire to keep it having a steady flow of Oxygen, to keep it a strong blaze. I was fascinated with seeing live Trees that could still move, and I walked towards one. The tree turned around and the face of her was painted green, the trademark for Elphaba's armies. I saw the Tree's face and immediately recognized the green tinge and shuddered.

"SHE'S ONE OF THEM! RUN EVERYBODY RUN!" Anthony grabbed Natalee's hand and ran for Shiz in the direction they were looked behind him to make sure Glinda was still there. She was using her wand-sword to burn the Tree that had chosen Elphaba's side, the sight was incredible. The fire spewing out of her wand looked like a flame thrower on steroids. The Tree was flailing her arms about trying to escape the fire. Blue from above rained down steady streams of his trademark blue fire and Glinda levitated in the air to meet her foe eye-to-eye. All the commotion and the rapid random movements of the Tree naturally got in the way of the Animals trying to escape. Sadly, this killed two Goats and a Bear. As the Tree fell to the ground hitting it like a dozen elephants falling, almost taking Anthony and Natalee with her, a Horse raced over to us and pushed us out of the way. The Horse saved us, and he himself survived as well. While hugging the Horse very tightly, she said,

"Wow, thank you so much. I can't believe what just happened!" Natalee gave a large thank you kiss to the Horse.

"Why wouldn't I have done that?" The Horse smiled, and then galloped away to catch up with the rest of the Animals having experienced their first casualties, mourned their loss. Natalee saw and interrupted,

"Hey come on guys, this is not the time or place to be mournful yet this is a battle! Snap out of it let's go!" Some Animals with heavy hearts tried helping Glinda, others ran away towards Shiz. When the Tree finally came crashing down, Glinda caught up with Natalee and me. She had a panic stricken face, and Anthony shared it.

"That was only one. Elphaba has many more already with her, this one was just slower than usual." Glinda warned. As we had just begun to clear the forest, Blue flew overhead, keeping watch from above. Shiz gleamed in the distance, and set the minds of all of us at ease. Now we could prepare for War, and give the Witch a real battle for Oz.


	17. Chapter 17

**Final Preparations**

As Anthony, Natalee, and Glinda walked closer and closer to the gates of Shiz, they were scoping out the exterior, mentally marking any weaknesses. Anthony decided to walk around the entire perimeter. A few of the Horses came to Anthony and offered their assistance to make the walk around swifter. Natalee Told the Unicorns to follow her so she could survey the towers and rooftop. Anthony started walking away from the rest of them and looked behind at Natalee."I'll catch up with you guys later, I just want to take a look around," Anthony told Natalee, and she followed Glinda across the drawbridge to get inside. After a few hours, Anthony noticed that there were many windows all around, "probably from the classrooms," he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Glinda was following Natalee around on the interior of the University, using her wand (still doubling as a sword) and adjusted all the parts Natalee believed a Fort shouldn't have that a school does. The Animals had a say in the changes as well. The Unicorns wanted indoor stables, and an extra one topside to be able to assist them after flights. The Goats and Cows wanted wide passage ways unobstructed to allow for good charges in case the enemy penetrated through the door. The Rhinoceroses wanted special magical doors to allow them to pass through so they could gather momentum and force inside while charging and by the time they reach outside, be un-stoppable and just plow through the enemy. Then they changed the library into an armory, the clinic became a much larger hospital wing, the class rooms became offices, for each of us, and the biggest classroom, the one for History, was Glinda's, and doubled as the briefing room for all the Animals to hear our strategies of the day. The Birds just wanted high ceilings to allow for dive bombings, or bombings in general. Also, the windows were taken away and replaced with archer holes, large triple mount revolving automatic cannons were placed on the roof, the stone was reinforced with armor, and the tallest tower became a watch tower, looking out for specifically the Witch herself, but also anything else on the enemy came a few minutes later and called for Glinda and Anthony to come out.

"Madame, Elphaba has taken the Emerald City, and placed her self as Empress," He looked a little nervous, but calmed down to give the rest of his report. Glinda waited patiently, and Anthony and Natalee quickly came and stood side by side wanting to know what he had to say as well.

"I don't really care who the ruler of Oz is right now, during War they don't really have a lot of power anyway." Glinda said.

"Wait there's more. I have seen her armies." Blue was very concerned for our success, and was trying to stress how strongly he felt about it. "Glinda, they're endless, she has Trees, Crows, Flying Monkeys, Bees, and Dragons. I know we have a lot too, but for Oz's sake, hers are astronomical in number." He continued.

"Well, that's why we are here, Shiz will offer the best protection, and the best offensive strikes. Also where the hell are those Dragons?" Natalee irritatedly asked.

"They will be ready tomorrow." Blue sighed.

"You said that two days ago! GO get them! Right now!" Anthony ordered. Blue nodded his head and flew away. Anthony turned to Natalee and widened his eyes in irritation, then walked back inside. Glinda stayed behind and spoke with Natalee.

"Natalee, I want to ask you something just to make sure you know how serious this battle is." Glinda stared into Natalee's eyes and did not break the contact.

"What's that?" Natalee waited for the question.

"What do you think will happen if in some way, Elphaba ends up getting the shoes?"

"Um, we all die right?" Natalee looked at her like she has heard this a thousand times over and that the question is stupid.

"Worse, she will kill Anthony and me, imprison you, and take over Oz as we know it. You will never be able to go back home, and your boyfriend will have died. When you age, and die here, back on Earth people's memories of you will vanish, and it will be as though you never existed. No one would know you, not even your Mother." Natalee stunned. She could not imagine something so horrible happening.

"Over a lousy pair of shoes? Why the hell are these damn shoes so special? This is so stupid!" She became enraged that so much depended on the ridiculous pair of slippers on her feet. She began crying from being so upset, and the thought of their failure, tormented her. Glinda came over and tried to comfort her.

"Shh, shh, it's ok Natalee, nothing like that is going to happen. We have the Unnamed God on our side, and she doesn't have the Grimmerie anymore." Glinda hugged Natalee looked around for Anthony, she knew he was the only one who could stop her tears. Natalee broke the hug when she heard the swift galloping sound of hooves on concrete, and through her red tearing eyes, smiled when she saw Anthony dismount the Horse who assisted his assessment of the exterior as he neighed. He walked towards Natalee, and held her in his arms.

"Hey why all the waterworks? I know Shiz is a school but it's not like you have to go to class now!" Natalee's face turned to a sarcastic one as she detected his attempt at comedy, which of course, failed.

"Really? Of all the things to say you're gonna bring up school?" Anthony laughed at himself as he saw a smile grow on her face.

"Well, I don't know, I thought that getting a laugh out of you would..." she started cracking up in hysterics. "See? there we go that's better!" One of the Unicorns, a Horse, a Bear, a Goat and a Rhino came over to make sure she was doing alright. The Birds flew overhead and dropped a corn dog and Dr. Pepper down for her.

"Thanks guys you didn't have to do this," She smiled at their kindness, and Glinda came back in the room. a faint sound of a trumpet sounded far in the distance. Smiles turned to frowns, laughter to silence. Glinda stood in the center of the room and spoke.

"It is time, they are coming."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17: To War Part 1**

Natalee immediately stood up and rounded up all the members of her command. Anthony followed her lead and did the same, but was anxiously awaiting the return of the Dragons. With out them, he had no one to command. Blue was still in the Emerald City trying desperately to get the good Dragons away from Bael. In the Emerald City, the witch had made it her own as well, instead of a formal, nice looking fancy place to have rich and famous people live, and high ranking politicians, it was gloomy, and had fog surrounding it at the base. The once mile high skyscrapers were now replaced by emerald green minarets and Gothic steeples. There were black marble carvings of the Witch's Dragons on each of the main extended minarets, which were attached to mountain high stone walls. The overall appearance would strike fear in all who were either stupid or brave enough to approach. Bael wrapped himself around the highest central building at the top, near the steeple, keeping a look out for any suspicious activity. The Witch herself formed her own throne in this steeple. This steeple was in the shape of her hat, keeping the same deranged look, torn, and twisted in parts of the wide brim. Each tower around the new Emerald Palace of the Witch, had the circular base of the steeple, lined in fire.

Blue finally reached the Dragon Lair, to the East of the Emerald Palace. He slithered along the floor, keeping as low to the ground as he could, searching for his friends. He could not find them, and as he got closer to the Palace Walls, heard the screeching Monkeys practicing their attacks. He could also see the tops of the Trees as they rehearsed their ambushing techniques. He saw the Bees swarming around their own dummies, filling the mouths and stinging the insides of the unfortunate victims. He saw the Crows dive-bombing to dummies, pecking out their eyes, and eating the brains through the empty holes. As he grew closer and closer, he noticed two things. First, that the dummies were not dummies at all. Instead, they were the remains of the Quadling people. Blue almost up-chucked when he realized this. The second thing he noticed was that the screeching was not from the Monkeys, but from the desperate cries for help from the Quadlings as they were tortured to death.

He then heard the Witch laugh as she flew down on her broom from the tallest tower in the center, and claim, "Once I set you all out to do your deeds, my power will be the greatest in Oz! Finally, the Ruby Slippers will be mine! AH HAHAHAHAHA!" Blue remained focused on finding his friends and tried desperately not to let the images of dead bodies on the walls as decoration. However, he stayed behind to witness a rare and rather demonic ceremony.

Bael it turns out was sending the stream of fire and lightning to the depths of the Unnamed Gods' rival, the Unnamed Devil's lair. He was warning him that a new servant of Wickedness was about to join him. The Wicked Witch of the West stood holding her broom next to Bael, and knelled down to him. Bael spoke to her, "My dear Wicked one, do you swear allegiance to His Supreme Evilness, The Unnamed Devil, to put yourself before others, to kill all who oppose you, and to devote you immortal life to stopping the workings of all that's Good?" He licked his teeth, and twirled his tail when he spoke.

The Wicked Witch said in return, "I will." With that, her appearance altered before them. Her broom became double ended with a pitchfork on the top, and her cape was extended even longer than before. Her black hat became wider brimmed, and this time, was accompanied by a thin scarf of blackness tied around the cone portion, and dangling down to the middle of her back on her cloak. That blackness seemed to have come straight from hell. It was neither solid nor gas, and similar to smoke in that it is not tangible. Her shoulders on her black dungeon themed gown grew robust metal pointed shoulder boards, and her nails grew longer. After her physical changes, her skin began to permanently shine, and her lips turned bright red as they filled with venom.

Bael spoke again and said to her, "Rise now, the Wicked Witch of Oz". She stood up, and all her Flying Monkeys screeched and flew around in joy of her improvements so to speak. Just then, The Witch flew high into the air with her cloak falling and the end of it stopped 20 feet below her. holding her pitchfork-broom, she spoke to her armies below her.

"Listen well, ALL OF YOU! Take your squads to Shiz and storm the fortress. Leave NONE ALIVE! You do not know pain, you do not know fear you will taste their flesh! Do what you like with the others but leave the girl alive, take special care of the Ruby Slippers; I want those more than I do you to be alive! Go and attack those idiots, do NOT FAIL ME!" in the same flame and lightning as seen before the Wicked Witch of Oz disappeared and her armies began marching.

Bluefire decided now was the best time to move on, and reached the North Gates. He tried to enter, but noticed that they had just begun to open themselves. The 600 Trees were in front of the formation, and made up an astonishing six squads. Behind them were the Monkeys, marching in perfect unison, and extending their wings. The 10,000 Crows followed the 12,000 Monkeys, and lastly were the 500,000 Bees. Up above flying overhead, were the Witch's 200 Dragons, all lead by Bael. As Blue saw her armies beginning to march out, he knew now was the best time to get out. He finally found his friends, and shot his fire-bombs at all their wrought-iron gates to free them. Some were slow at getting out and Blue urged them to get the hell out as soon as possible.

"Come on you lot, we have to move quickly the Witch will be here!" he told them. Blue ordered the six other Dragons to follow him, but they were fast, and he was left behind. "Fly to Shiz my friends, I'll meet you there! FLY!" He leaped off the ground, and was just in time. The Wicked Witch of Oz's armies formed ranks, and marched out of the Gates, to Shiz. High above, Blue followed his allies to Shiz, and landed just in time. The new Wicked Witch of Oz, had joined the Unnamed Devil, and the future of Oz depended on his arrival. When Blue returned to Shiz with the rest of his friend Dragons, he saw Anthony Natalee and Glinda all standing together talking seriously around a round wooden table. Discussing loudly what the war plans should be. He looked down, and saw the Ruby Slippers gleaming in the shadows of the spot underneath the table.


	19. Chapter 19

**To War part 2**

Natalee was cross. She felt like she was a pawn, a thing, the Ruby Slippers being more important than anything. These stupid shoes were so decisive in who would win the coming battle, which Anthony believed she should not fight. In addition, she was tired of living in agony because these Ruby Slippers are burning her feet.

"OK YOU KNOW WHAT? WE NEED TO JUST DESTROY THESE FUCKING SHOES!" Natalee yelled at Glinda.

"Yes OF COURSE NATALEE! BUT HOW DO YOU PROPOSE WE DO THAT? HOPE THAT YOUR MOTHER COMES HERE AND HER HOUSE FALLS ON THEM? I HAVE TRIED NOTHING WORKS!" Glinda defended her self. Natalee was sick and tired of them and Glinda was getting frustrated.

"Ok guys let's just calm down here Natalee, Glinda's right she has obviously-" Natalee cut him off.

"No Anthony! There is always a way! Everything can be destroyed! If they would just come off I would frigging beat the living crap out of them with a hammer or something!"

"Well, I am to blame for this one. Spells are unreversible and when I gave them to Natalee, I didn't want any possibility of them slipping off so I put a hex on them to never come off."

"Alright, well if they can't come off, then that means that the only way to destroy them would be to kill Natalee. I think we can all agree The Witch would have no quarrels with that so Natalee, I forbid you to fight We will keep you in the Fort, away from danger." Anthony rather demanded.

"You lousy sexist! Just because I am a woman, you don't think I can defend my self? I will kill anyone who tries to take them, they're monsters anyway they'll just go back to hell where they belong!" Natalee fired back.

"Natalee, I'm not being sexist, you just shouldn't fight! Too many people want to kill you in the most painful way to get those shoes. If I put you in the battlefield, you're gonna die!" Anthony yelled at her from the other end of the table. Blue was comforted with the sight of Glinda, Natalee, and Anthony. He went outside and rallied up the Dragons.

"Oh come now you two really, we have much to discuss now just settle down!" Glinda felt like a mom for a bit.

"Yes you are! You think I shouldn't fight because you don't think I'm strong enough or whatever to fend for my self! You told me one time that War is a necessary evil, and that sometimes in battle, you need to take risks, because the outcome of success is too good to ignore. I know everything under the sun wants the Ruby Slippers, that's why I use this!" Natalee took out one of her arrows from her bow. Anthony looked down at the table and sighed.

"Anthony, you know she's right. And, I will be there so you don't need to worry about her getting harmed. Also, I think you will be pleasantly surprised to see the effectiveness of the weapons and armor I gave you." Glinda said.

"Alright, it's agreed. Natalee can fight. Now let's talk strategy. I say we have the flying Animals circle above and wait as reinforcements should the forces on the ground become too strong for us. Meanwhile, the Rhinos and Elephants attack can sneak around our colliding armies, and flank them from The Madelines. Then the rest of the land Animals can come from behind and support us three." Anthony suggested, looking at a map of Oz.

"Yes that's good, and then we three should stay together in the front of the army helping the Animals, and keeping a lookout for the Witch at the same time. Is that understood? No one goes anywhere alone, never. The Witch has more black magic than one can possibly imagine and without a friend at your side the pain she can cause will be unbearable." Glinda ordered. We all agreed and nodded our heads.

"Wait a minute! We're seriously going to have the person who is wearing the one thing our Enemy wants right at the front? Are we friggin stupid? EVERYBODY WANTS TO KILL NATALEE FOR THOSE SHOES GLINDA! THE WITCH'S ARMY WILL MOST LIKELY COMPLETELY IGNORE OURS AND GO STRAIGHT FOR HER! I GUARANTEE IT! I CAN'T-" Glinda cut him off.

"IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A POINT, do so calmly. You do not need to raise your voice to me or anyone else. Now, I see your point Anthony and by the way, I'm the one who gave her the shoes in the first place, don't you think I already know that? I was never worried about that decision because I could sense the immense love you have for her. I know for a fact you would not let anything bad happen to her as long as there is something you can do about it. I have given you both magical armor and weapons. I will be there with you; there is nothing to worry about. Should we be scared? Definitely! Are we outnumbered? Astronomically! But" Natalee interrupted her.

"We have one thing they don't though." Glinda and Anthony both looked at her in confusion. Besides the Ruby Slippers, what was she talking about?

"What's that?" Anthony asked.

"You," she was looking and pointing at Glinda, who began to blush a little at the compliment. Anthony went over to Natalee and as they walked out, he told her he was sorry for yelling, he just was worried about her. Then Natalee and I formed up the Animals into a platoon. Anthony bewitched them with his staff to be perfect marching soldiers, and then they all went to attention and waited orders. Anthony and Natalee stood side by side holding hands. Anthony hit his staff on the ground, and then the sapphire lit blue once again, and Blue came down. Natalee called her Horse leader to come forward and she mounted him. Anthony then climbed on top of Blue, and they all waited for Glinda. She came walking slowly towards us and in the distance; we all could hear the Witch's armies marching. Glinda whispered something to Anthony and he nodded. She stepped in front of the formation and spoke to them all. Still wearing her Royal Oz dress, the bright red and gold one, she looked magnificent. Blue had already come back with his six spears of Dragon friends. Anthony and Natalee saw them for the first time here. Some were green, red, yellow, orange, bright colors. Some had wings, and one had a weird propeller like system. They all took flight and hovered above the Army. Glinda raised her snowflake staff to her throat to amplify her voice and spoke.

"Give your attention please everyone. Thank you. Today marks the most important day, in all of your lives. Everything we have done for the past Cycle, has lead you to this one defining moment. Today, you each become elevated into something greater than you are. Today, you are all heroes! You will have the chance to earn your own freedom back. You will avenge your brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and spouses. Tonight we will look upon the same evil that captured Queen Ozma, the rightful heir to the throne. Tonight, we will face the most vicious and evil woman in all of Oz, The Wicked Witch! They will have met their match today though. When they see the shine of our swords, and the strength of our hearts, and might of our brains, they will know what we can do! Today, is a day that will live forever, and go down in the History books, as the last stand for Free men in Oz. Too long have you bowed down to a ruler. Too long have you been tortured, oppressed! TONIGHT, WE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM AND THE GOOD OF THE UNNAMED GOD! TONIGHT, WE FIGHT FOR OZ!" She raised her sword staff and all the animals cheered loudly as they were ready to fight as the enemy drew closer. Natalee and Anthony shot flares up in the air to simulate fireworks, and cheered themselves. Glinda put her free hand on her hip and waited for the worst to come, ready to take down anything. Blue had a look on his face though as if he had seen a ghost. The Trees came first.


	20. Chapter 20

**The Battle**

The enormous Trees came thumping towards us like great Earthly Giants. They were ancient warriors though, so they were by no means fast, to anyone's standards. But because of their size, we made sure we were safely away from them and Natalee and I could barely believe the war had started whether we wanted to be in it or not. As the Trees grew closer, I made sure Natalee and Glinda were with me as I began thinking of a zigzag course to avoid the Trees while still giving me chances to attack.

"Natalee here's the plan, we're going to weave in and out of their ranks to confuse them by offering more than one target in three different places at the same time. Now you have to keep moving, even if you see a Tree root in front of you keep going if you stop you will be trampled." Natalee was very afraid but brave enough to say,

"Alright let's do it," Glinda nodded her head and I went straight ahead into the Tree squads. As soon as I stepped into their formation, they all stopped moving and Natalee and Glinda couldn't see me anymore.

The Trees stopped in a spot surrounding me, I couldn't see daylight and they began crouching down hitting each other forming sort of a Tree tepee. At first I didn't understand why, and then I began choking and coughing, they were using their roots and backwards to human breathing to take away my oxygen! I quickly thought of fire spells and my staff's sapphire lit bright red. The Trees all lit up in flame and molten lava, and started screaming, and got up from on top of me and began running around. Natalee started smiling as she saw me punch my fist holding the staff into the air celebrating my achievement. Then Natalee wiped the smile off her face as she saw the trees walking back towards me from behind. The fire did not kill them. The trees slammed their arm shaped branches all around him and with help from the other burning Trees, tried to engulf him in their flame.

I began panicking as the fire tried to burn my armor. I was trapped, I couldn't move the Trees and they were on fire closing in on me. Then after a few seconds, the feeling of the immense heat went away, the armor began glowing and the fire had no affect on me. However, the thickening smoke was assisting in the enclosing air hole above me taking my oxygen and I fell to the ground unable to breathe. Natalee screamed at the sight and was worried that I might be dead. The Dragons were flying in circles above firing their own fire bombs down at the Trees. The Rhinos and other Animals began charging at them unafraid of their fiery blockade. The Trees started charging at our Animal Army and they swung their gigantic branches at them. A few more of our soldiers died and they bravely continued to fight. Blue shot down a steady stream of lightning this time, surprising himself as well. That scared the Trees but not enough.

"Natalee, you go around there and we'll surround them it's the only way they can be stopped!" Glinda shouted at Natalee because the roaring of the fire from the Dragons up above, the screaming and moaning of the trees was deafening.

Glinda and Natalee quickly surrounded the Trees and prevented their movement. Glinda twirled her staff around in the air and then pointed it at them. An enormous earth-quake rumbled the ground where the Trees were standing and they all fell into the endless hole it created. Then she winked at the site again, and the ground returned to normal. As she smiled with her own victory, a ray of sunlight shined down onto her. It distracted her and she looked up at the heavens. She closed her eyes and tears began falling from her sparkling eyelids. In her head she could hear the soothing voice of the Unnamed God. She would never tell me what He said, but as she opened her eyes, her appearance changed. Her silver snowflake crown turned into a similar crown except instead of silver snowflakes, they were gold suns. Her signature staff changed as well. The snowflake part of it turned into a sun as well, with rays imitating the previous stems from the snowflake. Anthony and Natalee smiled and were happy that they seemed to be doing the right thing by fighting back. Then there was a very loud humming noise. The thousands of Bees were coming. Glinda summoned her signature pink bubble and floated high above the ground. Anthony used his staff and it lit bright blue and purple. He grabbed Natalee and stood right next to her. He quickly raised his staff and a large spherical shield surrounded us. My side was bright blue and hers was purple. The Bees met up with us. They were hideous things. As large as a hand, with wings flapping in the lowest of tones. They were dark green and black in color and had stingers the size of a thumb tack. They charged towards the shield and thank heavens bounced off. Some were bigger than others though and got stuck inside. The Birds came down and beat them to death with their beaks. The other Bees started swarming around her feet and they eventually broke through our shield. Natalee screamed and started running away.

"Natalee, don't stop running!" They were all following her shoes and just as the rest of the Bees met her on all sides stopping her running, they froze. I used my staff to try and control the Bees and then I finally could. Glinda still safe in her bubble looked down at me and smiled, I was learning fast. The Bees were as still as stone but were still alive and glaring at me, and buzzing loudly in frustration of their imminent failure. Then I slammed my staff to the ground and all the Bees exploded in thin air. I ran to Natalee and held her close.

"I told you many times and I'll say it again, I will never let anything happen to you. I love you." Glinda came down and while we were happy of the success of our fights so far, she warned us that the strongest are yet to come. As I looked up from kissing my girlfriend's head, I heard the signature "wooping" sound of the Flying Monkeys coming towards us. Glinda turned around and saw a black spec trailing dark green smoke behind was coming from the center of the now Emerald Palace of the Witch, ex Emerald City. Natalee collapsed to the ground, the shoes were glowing brighter than ever and she couldn't bear it.

"Anthony, these damn shoes have burned holes in my socks I can feel it! Oh my god it hurts!" Natalee complained. Anthony went over to her and told her

"Natalee, just a little bit longer, we almost won the War." He helped her stand back up.

"The Battle for Shiz has just ended. The Battle for Oz against the Wicked Witch herself, is about to begin".


	21. Chapter 21

Back at the Emerald Palace of the Witch, The Wicked Witch was getting furious that her army had not been successful so far. She was finally so close to the Shoes she could taste them and was very short tempered due to her immense lust for them. She paced in her throne room rapidly and shaking her arms quickly at her side. She was breathing heavily and loudly, getting more angry with ever step. She picked up a chair from the room and threw it out of a window breaking the glass. Bael poked his head through the large glassless window, and was frightened. He didn't know what to do. She threw her broom across the room and it hit a desk and broke it. She suddenly stopped pacing, and then screamed to her self as the walls shook.

"COWARDS! WHY IS IT SO HARD TO DESTROY TWO LITTLE KIDS?" She was pissed and not exactly talking to anybody in particular, rather she was rhetorically speaking to herself. She held out her green hand and was about to cast an explosive spell, but stopped, starring at her green glowing tone. She closed her eyes and remembered when she was younger, her famous rivalry with the stupid fake Wizard. Then she remembered how people constantly bullied her as a teenager because of her color, and she felt the pain again. Then Chistery came in and she remembered the day that she gave him wings and oh how quickly sadness turned back to anger. She also remembered how Anthony killed her brother, and how Natalee stole her Ruby Slippers. In a claw shape, she aimed her hand and pointed it at the mirror on the wall across from her and it exploded. Shards of glass flew into Bael's face and he screamed in pain.

"Watch where you're cursing your Wickedness! That really hurt!" The Witch stopped pacing and mimicked his crying in a condescending sarcastic manner.

The Witch did not even look at him, she just stood with her back to Chistery and told him to come closer. He knew he was the only one she wouldn't yell at.

"Ma'am?" He tried getting her attention. She was kneeling down on the floor with her face in her long-nailed hands. With her new demon-like powers, she looked across the battlefield out the window and could actually see the Ruby Slippers glowing in the distance. She slammed the window shut so hard it fell off its hinges and crashed down below.

"What?" She sternly replied. Her eyes glowing red as she looked at him, kneeling on the floor.

"It is time for the rest of us Winkies to go and attack with the Crows. Would you like to watch? It is sure to be a most pleasing sight for you."

"I will be along in a minute, round up the others and tell them to wait for my command when I get down there." She stood up and picked up her broom. Chistery bowed his head, and The Witch patted him. Just then, one of her Vinkus Guards came in.

"What is it, make it quick I have a war to win, a boy to kill and Shoes to take."

"Yes madame Witch. I just, wanted to remind you that… ahem, Glinda the Good Witch put a spell on them to never come off so how-" The guard was cut off, almost literally. The Witch didn't even have to look at him she just positioned her broom as if it were a shot gun, and pointed it at his throat. He was being strangled to death and he hovered higher close to the ceiling. The Witch could not believe her ears.

"What? I'm just interested, please do tell again." She walked over to him as he attempted to repeat, but his voice was unrecognizable as his lungs struggled to find oxygen through his closing throat. She strangled him harder, and this time, also held him away from the wall so his entire body weight was resting (magically not physically) on her hand.

"YOU THINK GLINDA IS STRONGER THAN ME DO YOU? WELL THEN I'LL SHOW YOU HOW POWERFUL I CAN BE!" She laughed at him so loudly, his ears began bleeding, and then she crossed her hands in a sweeping motion and the guard ripped in half slowly, as he screamed and blood poured out of the open window. Then she lowered her broom from offensive mode, and stepped out of the room. The Wicked Witch of Oz mounted her pitchfork topped broomstick, and flew out of the window, and hovered above her enormous army of Trees, Bees, Crows, and the Flying Monkeys in that order. Her enormous cape flowed very far below her, and she announced to her five armies the time for attacking has come. They all saw when the guard was torn in half and heard her laughing at it earlier so she told them,

"Let that be a warning for you all, your mission is to kill everyone in your path, and destroy those stupid worthless creatures!" They all replied in unison, "Yes Wicked Witch!"

"Kill their pathetic army first, Glinda, Anthony and Natalee are mine! ABOVE ALL ELSE, GIVE ME MY RUBY SLIPPERS!" The Witch screamed over the lands, and with her magic, opened the gate that lead to the drawbridge, and let her army begin marching Northwards, to Shiz. She then bolted and in a flash was out of sight. The monkeys and crows jumped off the ground and flew high in the air. As they got closer, they could hear Glinda's armies screaming down below.


	22. Chapter 22

**Threats, death and one last mission**

The Monkeys drew nearer and I ran back to Natalee's side thinking they would go straight for her. Instead they attacked our army. They flew down and grabbed a few of our friends. Then they soared high into the air and dropped them. We could hear their cries for help as they fell to their death. Natalee and I were very sad and beginning to freak out a little at the sight of so much death.

"Alright Natalee time to go and kill those flying sons of a BITCH!" I ran out to go attack. There was a few on the ground waiting to grab another group of Animals. I swung my staff around vigorously and killed about three of the five. Then four more landed behind me and Natalee fired 4 arrows at them. The first arrow sliced through one completely then stabbed another. The second and third arrows finished them off, and the final arrow turned around and killed one behind herself.

"Nice job! Keep doing that!" Anthony congratulated her. Glinda came running and assisted Anthony in fighting the Monkeys and Crows. Then about a dozen Monkeys surrounded Glinda, she had no room to move, no time to think. Natalee ran over and took one especially large arrow out of her quiver and fired it at them. Anthony watched as he sliced the throats of six more Monkeys. They stopped in their tracks and turned into Stone! Glinda then used one of Anthony's tricks. She slammed her staff on the ground and all of them exploded into dust. Then we all ran together and attacked some Crows. I jumped up in the air and whacked a dozen out of the air. Natalee fired an extra long arrow and it pierced ten all at once. They fell to the ground looking like a shish kabob. As we continued slaying our evil enemies, we didn't see an end in sight. Natalee looked up and saw the Birds and Unicorns and Dragons fighting bravely up above. It encouraged her to keep fighting. Not to mention the fact that she wanted desperately to destroy those stupid shoes. At this point in the Battle, Anthony called Blue down to get a report on who is left.

"We have all the Horses, one squad of Unicorns is dead, I am the only remaining Dragon, and we have two squads of Rhinos and Birds."

"Wow, ok thank you." One more squad of Flying Monkeys and Crows darted towards him.

Anthony slammed his staff on the ground and lightning spiraled out of his staff killing all the Monkeys and Crows around him. All of a sudden something changed. All went black, and he saw Glinda and him self fall to the ground. Where did Natalee go he thought to himself. The Unicorns killed the remaining Crows and then the last six Monkeys stepped towards Anthony and Glinda. They took both our staffs, and held us down on the ground.

"What the hell are you doing to us? Where is Natalee?" Anthony asked. None other than the Wicked Witch appeared in front of him and answered his question.

"Why she's right here, don't you see her?" Hanging upside down by her feet tied to a tree was Natalee. Her mouth and hands tied shut she was screaming for help. Anthony was furious.

"YOU LET HER GO THIS INSTANT YOU WITCH!" The Witch and the remaining Monkeys were not standing right next to me, Natalee, and Glinda. We were about halfway across the field.

"I WILL TAKE BACK WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE THEN YOU CAN HAVE HER!"

"ELPHABA STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Glinda ordered. The Witch didn't even look at her and Glinda whispered something to Anthony's rope which was tying him down. He was free. With the Witch druleing at the Ruby Slippers, I grabbed my staff from the monkey after I kicked him in the face. Immediately the Witch turned around and her pitchfork broom lit up in flame in her hands.

"So you don't take warnin' eh? ALL THE WORSE FOR YOU!"

"FIGHT ME I DARE YOU!" Anthony waved his staff at Glinda and Natalee and they were free.

Natalee yelled at the Wicked Witch, "Three against one, looks like the odds are on our side what a shame,"

"Go get ten more people and then it will be an even fight!" The Witch fired back. Glinda spoke next.

"Elphaba it doesn't have to end this way, you can still walk away," All of us in defense mode holding and angling our staff or bow in Natalee's case, circling our enemy as we negotiated.

"I WANT THOSE SHOES!" With that, she charged towards Natalee and the armor was pulsating purple magic, trying to push her away just as Glinda said it would, but the Witch was too powerful. She touched the Ruby Slippers and the hand that did was burned. Glinda's spell was still active, the one that sealed the shoes to her feet. In retaliation and while screaming in pain, the Wicked Witch bit Natalee's ankle. She fell to the ground from the Witch's venom entering her blood.

Anthony spun his staff and then pointed it at the Witch. The sapphire lit bright red, as molten lava prepared to be fired out.

"Step away from her right now, or I swear to the Unnamed God I will kill you right now!"

"Try it, watch what happens." The Witch cackled at his apparently not serious threat.

Anthony waved his staff and thousands of gallons of lava spewed out from his staff. Glinda used her own to prevent any overspray from it to land on any of us. Then she used her free hand to speed up the effects of the emerald around Natalee's neck to help the poison go away.

Aftrer a few seconds, the molten lava hardened and turned to rock. At first we all were wondering if it worked. Then her broom lit up in flame again and the lava disappeared.

Then The Witch stood up and fired a few fire balls at Glinda. Parts of her dress were burned but she was fine. Natalee was still poisoned and laid down on the ground next to Glinda, unable to move. Glinda kneeled down next to her using her wand and her free hand to try and help her. Natalee had just enough strength to fire four nine inch thick arrows at her before she was totally out. They hit her and she almost fell down, but still was not dead. Then The Wicked Witch cursed the nearby lake and a massive Tsunami struck us. Seconds before, Anthony used his staff to make a shield around them to protect against the wave. When the water cleared, The Witch was no where to be found. Then From behind she screamed and scared the crap out of all of us. For hours it seemed this battle went on. Anthony was very concerneed for Natalee, the Witch was powerful, and Natalee was becoming weaker and weaker. He feared she would use her venom filled lips to get the shoes easier. Then, Bael came to the scene and crash landed in the middle of us. He was pissed, but this time, With the Wicked Witch.

"Bael what are you doing here I didn't order you, GET BACK TO THE PALACE YOU SWINE!"

"You are the most terrible person I have ever known! You treat your own servants as low life scum and are sickeningly obsessed with those stupid shoes! I am going to eat you now and take your spot on the SEAT OF THE THRONE OF OZ!" Laughing he opened his mouth wide and lunged towards the Wicked Witch. Glinda raised her wand and at the last moment…..

To be continued


	23. Chapter 23

**Death of the WWW**

Glinda raised her wand at the last moment, Bael was frozen still. The Witch was just seconds away from being eaten by her own ally. Glinda knew this is where the Witch would die and despite her success in the war, looked very saddened. The Witch was confused. Why was Glinda stopping Bael from killing her? Anthony and Natalee were both surprised as well. They both thought that was how the Wicked Witch would die, at the hands of her own lackey. Glinda used her free hand to continue helping Natalee. Anthony went over to Natalee and grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"What is this mutiny Bael? I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD! Get up off the ground you coward, fight me like a real man Anthony!" The Witch was sick of the stalling, and just wanted to kill us. Glinda was having very slow progress with Natalee's poison situation. Anthony let go of Natalee's hand for a second. Glinda stopped for a second and thrusted her wand at the Wicked Witch, sending her down on her back. Anthony continued the duel on his own, and fought the Wicked Witch alone. He pumped his staff in the air towards her, the sapphire lighting red yellow and white as it fired fire, and ice at her simultaneously.

"Get out of here, just go we don't want to kill you but we are willing and prepared if we have to! You have attacked and killed thousands of innocent lives, and there must be repercussions. On top of all that, you poisoned my girlfriend!" Anthony was interrupted. The Witch used her free hand and twirled it while the hand holding the broom rotated pointing towards the sky. A bolt of lightning struck the ground where Anthony was, but missed. Another one hit his armor and he fell from the sudden shock.

"You couldn't do it even if you tried you are far too weak! I have made a deal with the Unnamed Devil so now you challenge me and all the powers of hell!" Then The Witch flew on her broom and fired a series of fire balls at me, and I used my staff as a baseball bat to avoid them. She struck a nearby tree, and it crashed just a few feet away from where I was. Then I fired plasma shots at her like a grenade launcher. She blocked them and hit me with my own magic, causing me to fall down again. The Witch laughed at my own failure, and levitated in the air above me on her flaming broom. She opened her mouth and fire poured out and formed a flaming wall around me preventing any escape should I need one. Anthony quickly looked around at his surroundings and then behind him at Glinda and Natalee. Then he saw the lake, and wondered if water could still affect her. Gambling that it would, I tried thinking of how I could lure the Wicked Witch to get as close to the edge of the lake as possible. I remembered that my armor would protect me against fires, but also took notice that this fire was started by the Witch. So I took my staff and used it as a garden hose to extinguish the fire and run through. Natalee began running to meet me, and Glinda put a spell on Bael to hold him in place while she caught up with me and the Witch at the Lake's banks. The Wicked Witch had her back to Lake Chorge, falling right into my plan, unbeknownst to everyone but me. The Witch tried to touch the shoes again, but Natalee kicked her hand away.

"I just want those shoes, give 'em back to me! GIVE THEM BACK DAMMIT!" The Witch had a crazed look in her eyes and Natalee flashed her shoes out in front as if she were modeling them for the Witch, teasing her with them. Then the Witch lost it and threw her broom down on the ground.

"ALL RIGHT, THAT'S IT!" The Witch charged at Natalee, and shover her down on the ground. She slapped Natalee repeatedly with her demon length finger nails, causing natalee to bleed in small streaks. Anthony got fed up with all of this and pulled the Wicked Witch off of her. Then I saw Bael in the background, twitching. I aimed my staff at him and it lit purple, dark purple, almost black.

"IF YOU TOUCH HER ONE MORE TIME, BAEL DIES!" The Witch just laughed at me and picked up her broom. She held it again as if it were a machine gun, and prepared to fire at me. So I took that as a bring it on, and cast my own spell. The forcefield fell, and Bael stopped breathing. He then split perfectly in half, exploding in his own blood, covering everyone in his dark, thick purple burning blood.

"NO! THAT'S THE LAST TIME YOU KILLED SOMETHING OF MINE!" We could tell the Witch was sad inside, but at the same time, too pissed off to show it, and she fired more fire than those Galleons back in the pirates days that could fire gallons of flaming oil from their bow. Glinda and I fell over from the force of it, and The Witch turned to Natalee. Natalee had a cross expression, and watery eyes. She was sick of games, and it was time to end it. She stood up and fired ten arrows at the Witch, still with no affect. It was like she was literally immortal, a full fledged demon.

"YOU WANT THE SHOES? THAT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I WANT THEM AS WELL! DESTROYED!" Natalee screamed. To her relief, the shoes stopped burning her, and re-sized themselves to how they were before Glinda gave them away. We all were speechless, all of us for different reasons. Anthony was speechless, because just as Glinda had informed him from day one, Natalee would have to figure out the secret to the shoes in order to use them on her own, she couldn't be told, it wouldn't work. Now, she figured it out and did it. The Witch was speechless because she was appalled that anyone would say such a thing, and did not know what to believe, would they really be destroyed in the next few minutes? The daylight went away and the shoes were the only source of light. They slid easily off Natalee's feet and she fell to the ground both relieved, and temporarily unconscious. The Witch watched with immense amazement as the shoes grew closer and closer to her. She extended her arm and finally, after almost 40 years of waiting, held the shoes.

"FINALLY! THE RUBY SLIPPERS BELONG TO ME!" The Witch held the shoes up and smiled brightly. Glinda had a horrified look on her face as she used her spare hand to magnify the image. Anthony looked at Natalee and she finally woke up, and remembered what was happening. She too had a horrified expression as she saw the Wicked Witch holding the Ruby Slippers. Anthony was not fooled though.

"Just wait, watch the shoes," Anthony thought to him self. The Witch stopped staring at the shoes and looked at Anthony.

"Natalee said she wanted them destroyed did she not?" Anthony smiled widely.

The shoes levitated out of her hands and hovered in between us for a couple seconds longer. Then, they turned themselves inside out and vanished. There was a pause, nothing moved, all was quiet and we all held our breath. There was an immense implosion coming from where the shoes had been just moments before, and the visible shock wave knocked every living person down. The blast knocked the Witch down. When we all stood up again, the Ruby Slippers were gone, and Natalee was smiling.

"No, NO!" The Wicked Witch's eyes glowed bright red and she slapped Natalee across the face with her nails, leaving a series of blood lines on her cheek. Natalee ffell backwards, but Glinda and I caught her. The Wicked Witch just stood there with her hair becoming loose from her bun now, and pieces of it blowing in her bright green face. The Witch cackled seeing Natalee almost fall backwards from the force and pain of the slap. I had had enough of this and decided it was time for her to be killed.

"No one touches Natalee like that!"

Anthony with both hands swung his staff as hard as he possibly could at the Wicked Witch, but only hit thin air. He was so pissed that his girlfriend had just been hit, he failed to realize one thing. Natalee had already thrown her bow down on the ground and kicked the Witch in the chest, knocking her off the ledge and falling into the Lake, but weirdly and to Anthony's fear, she floated above the water. Glinda raised her wand again this time created a force field between us and the Witch preventing any further contact.

"I made a deal with the devil and he made me one of His own so mere water can't kill me, I'M THE WICKED WITCH OF OZ!" She stopped talking and looked down at where her feet were. Up to now, she had been floating on top of the water. Now, she could feel it. Her dress and cape inch by inch boiled and began emitting green smoke creating a creepy hissing noise. Slowly she was being boiled, liquidated into oblivion. She screamed in pain as the water now literally began eating away at her skin bones and muscle. Her broom exploded in an electric burst of fire and sulfur, and was gone forever.

"What have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" The Witch tried to run up back to the ledge, but each step she took, she melted and disintegrated faster, and more painful. She began screaming, the most eerie raspy and ear shattering scream we had ever heard. The water rose to her ankles and started looking like waves climbing on top of one another fighting to take down the mighty Wicked Witch. She had no blood, the Witch being too Wicked for too long that her blood dried up years ago. Her lust for more and more power kept her alive, and she for a while was invincible. But alas, the powers of Good overruled once again. It was good that there enemy was dieing without any of them being hurt, but the way there enemy was dieing was nothing to celebrate, at least for now anyway. A little dignity goes a long way.

"I guess the Unnamed Devil lied to her," Glinda said. Tears began falling from her face very hard as she remembered the fourteen year old green girl that was once her roommate. She had become friends and enemies with this person, and although they were enemies at this point, it was all she could do to not cry. She too was happy they were successful, but this was disgusting and hard to watch for anybody to go through.

Anthony and Natalee on the other hand, watched the Wicked Witch of Oz go down, undaunted and unaffected by her cries of pain. This was the justice that Oz desperately needed, and this time, we could tell she wasn't faking it. The first time she melted, there was no hissing, no green smoke, just her going down an ingeniously placed trap door where she heeded her escape. This time, she was being destroyed bone by bone.

The Witch was in terrible pain and her scream became more and more telling of that. Now only her torso up to her famed pointy hat was remaining. Her gown and cape billowed beneath her and floated on top of the water. The hissing continued as the water came higher and higher on her. Then as the water reached her neckline, her gown looking inflated from the escaping green smoke hissed ever louder. Her pointy black tall hat was almost level with the water and her face melted away into her skeleton, which soon boiled and all that was left of her was her black gown and cape with the hat resting on the top, floating in the water, and the echo of her terrified scream of agony. Anthony hugged Natalee and Glinda.

"It's over, we won! Thank God." He said. Natalee smiled and the sun shined bright for the first time in over a year. Glinda cleared her tears and then spoke.

"If you still want to find Mombi and Ozma, you better hurry. Come with me in my bubble, I am the only one who can force Mombi anyway."

The pink bubble filled us for the final time and we arrived at the door of the dungeon that lead to Princess Ozma and Mombi Nanny.


	24. Chapter 24

Glinda and Natalee just gave up waiting and sat down. Anthony had been using his staff for the past half hour trying to open the stupid door, muttering words he thought would pass as spells and thrusting his white wooden staff towards the door, with of course no success. Natalee finally stood up and walked over to him and the door.

Glinda came to her and smiled trying not to laugh at Anthony.

"Now remember Natalee, it's just a regular door so just think of something practical to break it down. It's not a magical or bewitched door," She turned her head and made that reference at my hilarious attempts at opening the door with magic.

"Oh God Anthony, just let me freaking do it," Natalee stood up and walked over to the door, but backed up and told Anthony to move out of her line of sight. She pulled out a single arrow, one that was the smallest he had seen her use yet.

"What? How can that one, small," Before he could continue, she fired the arrow and upon contact with the door, the chains melted and the door exploded, leaving a clean open door way, and no mess. Anthony just looked at her and had a very bored look on his face.

"Oh, yeah great job Natalee." He sighed as Natalee laughed. When the smoke and dust cleared from the exploding door, a 20 year old man stood next to a very old hunched over woman. Clearly, this was Tip, and Mombi. Tip had brown eyes, and brown hair that turned blondish gold halfway past his scalp. He was very thin and tall, and dressed in traditional Oz colors: an Emerald Green jacket with gold trim and black trousers. Mombi wore a dark red or burgundy colored and gold trimmed dress, which was flared from the waste down. She used an old shepherds' staff as her tool for witchcraft. She had (unlike the Wicked Witch) very nice heeled pointy shoes, no cape, and a white lace-trimmed bonnet on her thick, long, curly, grey hair. Glinda switched hands moving her golden sun staff to her left hand. With her right, she opened the shutters and ignited the wall torches.

"Mombi, we have been anxiously awaiting to speak with you if you wouldn't mind a little, discussion. Firstly," Nanny or now better known as Mombi, interrupted her.

"You tried this once before, don't you see that I am doing things of my own accord? What makes you think this time will be any different?" She was not mad or screaming which was a nice change from the constant opposite of this that the Wicked Witch gave us.

"We have permanently destroyed both the Ruby Slippers and The Wicked…Elphaba." Glinda replied. Mombi dropped her shepherd's staff and was shocked, but from what, in turn surprised us.

"YOU DESTROYED THE RUBY SLIPPERS? HOW CAN THAT BE?" Glinda told the story and explained how the shoes eventually were able to sort of make their own choices, most of the time at least, and Natalee showed Mombi her socks which still had the burned out holes.

"Why aren't you upset with us for killing your granddaughter?" Anthony asked her. Mombi just looked at me, glaring her eyes and obviously judging me in her head, but out loud ignored me and switched topics. Tip came out of the shadows and waited for a spot to interject.

"It's about time those horrid shoes were gone. I never thought they were good anyway." Tip said. Mombi then slapped him with her cane and shouted at him.

"Did I say you could speak? NO Sit down and SHUT UP BOY!" Mombi looked back at us as if nothing had happened. Anthony got angry and pointed the ornate tree-like ovals on top of his staff (revealing the sapphire which now hissed and illuminated red indicating fire) at her and she stared at it frightened.

"Don't hit anyone one more time. You want this to turn physical? I will gladly appease you." Anthony was ready to fight but at the same time sick of it. After the war and the two one on one duels with the Witch, he was tired. Glinda spoke again.

"Alright enough stalling Mombi, hand her, I mean umm him over to us and we will be on our way." Glinda grew impatient.

"No." Mombi smiled.

"Mombi, you have given enough time trying to do this, the Wizard is gone and dead now, there is no need for it! NOW, Turn him over to me, or I will arrest you for kidnapping ROYALTY!"

"Do it, arrest me, then try and turn him back go ahead." Glinda knew she (Mombi) was the only one who could do it. Spells can't be reversed, and Glinda did not know black magic. Natalee and I both thought the exact same thing and yelled in unison,

"YOU HAD BETTER DO IT! THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET HOME YOU BITCH! CHANGE HIM BACK AND SHUT UP!" We both aimed our weapons at her and this time Natalee pulled 5 arrows, to show she meant business. Glinda, I noticed, did not have any problems with us threatening Mombi for she did not tell us to disarm, and the interrogation continued.

"Change Tip back into his real form and you won't be murdered. If you give him to us right now, we will leave you alone. Just obey and do what I say." Glinda said. This was Mombi's last chance for Glinda being calm. I noticed her hand twitching resting on her gown, which quite perfectly for this occasoin, was her Roal Oz dress. Mombi gave up and sighed.

"Alright, I will do it. You leave for ever, and I give away Tip." She said to Glinda. However, Glinda's pearl turned pitch black.

"Glinda your pearl!" Anthony pointed out it's blackness. Glinda lunged her golden sun staff right to her stomach and it lit brightly, filling the room.

"TELL THE TRUTH! Hand him over AND turn him back to his natural form or I WILL KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!" Glinda was also ready and with those words, Natalee pulled another arrow and aimed, while Anthony pointed his staff again with it ready to shoot fire at any second. Mombi let out a little scream of fright and breathed heavily holding her chest.

"Alright, you win your stupid Goodness, I'll do it!" Mombi surrendured. The pearl around Glinda's neck remained white and we all lowered our weapons. Mombi told and gestured for Tip to come forward and he was afraid.

"No, No I don't want to be a girl! I have been a boy my whole life, make someone else a girl!" He was shaking his hands in front of him gesturing no.

"It won't hurt, and you won't feel anything, you won't even remember being a boy," Mombi tried to reassure him. Tip looked in a mirror one last time and said,

"Ok, fine just do it quick, this is so embarrassing and awkward and," He stopped talking as Mombi whispered things and he levitated in the air, waving her hands at him in front of her as she remembered the spell to do it. Natalee, Glinda and I watched in humbled amazement as Tip was slowly transformed into a girl. His hair grew longer, and his torso became curved like an hour glass rather than straight. His chest grew more pronounced and her legs slimmer. Her shoulders narrowed and the adam's apple disappeared, and she slowly fell to the ground. Even the outfit was different. The former Tip was now wearing a similar to his jacket green and gold dress, with satin shiny puffy sleeves and a thick collar around her neck line that had a large Emerald in the middle at her chest. She had long curly hair which was still the same color, and her eyes remained unchanged as well. Mombi went over to the floor and stomped her cane on the ground looking for a hollow spot. Then the thud echoed and she found it. Kneeling on the stone floor of Kiamo Ko, she pulled out two stone blocks and the out came Queen Ozma's Royal Staff. It had incredible magical power, Ozma Tippetarius as her birth name dictates, was more powerful than Glinda even. Her staff was taller than Glinda's, and the rod portion of it was solid emerald. as it came closer to the top, there were several gold rings hugging the emerald rod, until finally the topper was seen. There was a large gold circle with a large Gold "Z" inside, surrounded by literally gold leaf. But since Ozma Tippetarius was the Unnamed God's anointed Queen of Oz, we all respected her and Glinda was never jealous. Mombi then pulled out another Gold and Emerald encrusted object. The Royal Crown. It was a simple yet stunning crown to symbolize the humble yet righteous ruler this crown would be worn by. The Crown moved it's self through the air and placed it's self on her head. The sudden added weight woke her up and she blinked as her brain refreshed its self and she slowly remembered everything and recognized faces. When she finally understood, she slowly stood up and grabbed her Royal Staff. Her green and gold dress unraveled its self and had the largest poof that he had ever seen, it even beat Glinda's. But instead of a round one like Glinda's, it was more straight, and sharp. We all bowed from the waste, and even Mombi did so. Glinda while still bowing, said,

"How truly wonderful to finally meet you your Highness." Glinda and then the rest of us straightened our backs and she smiled.

"Thank you for saving me Glinda, I can finally breathe again. And you two, thank you as well for standing up to me." Her Royal Highness Princess Ozma thanked us and then she turned around to Mombi.

"You on the other hand, shall be jailed for the rest of your horrid life!" She yelled and Glinda raised her wand. Princess Ozma saw her and nodded for Glinda to continue.

"Mombi, your magic is gone." Glinda said smiling with great pleasure in wiping away any threat of the last person in Oz who was considered evil.

"NO!" With a loud crack and a flash of white light, Mombi's shepherd's staff broke in half and she was just left with a mere walking stick. Anthony and Natalee were ecstatic, finally their mission was complete and they could start working to get home.

Anthony turned to Natalee and said, "Now we just have to go to the Emerald city, and announce the Wicked Witch is dead and Crown the rightful Ruler of Oz Queen!" We all cheered and Glinda offered her bubble, but Ozma insisted we all chooses her method. We all stood very close together and in a gold flash, were right at in the throne room of the newly reformed (from the Witch's version) Emerald City of Oz.


	25. Chapter 25

Ozma Tippetarius looked around. The enormous steel Dragon was still in this room, with all the typical Ozian decorations gone, and the creepy purple fire still roaring and circling the perimeter of the room. She looked annoyed, and for the first time in a long time, used her magical staff. The glass orb containing the gold O and Z light up brightly turning all different colors and then she held it out in front other, slowly turning in place, allowing the room to be aimed at by her wand at the same time. The walls became encrusted with emeralds, and they had gold gilding decorating them. There were white marble pillars all throughout. The center of the room was raised a little with stairs leading up to the new elevate platform, roughly as tall as a typical theater stage, and there appeared a huge throne. This was The Throne of Oz. Completely made of gold, emeralds and rubies, it glistened in the light. Beautiful and powerful, just like the new ruler, the Throne stood proudly at the center of attention. There was an enormous gilded marble arch around the back of the throne that was lighted. Ozma looked at us from behind, and smiled. Glinda was smiling too, it had been a while since she had seen the throne room in what it was supposed to look like.

"There, that's better. Now then, shall we proceed?" Ozma pointed her staff at the door, the very same door that Anthony and Natalee tried to break through in their escape from the Emperor. She opened the door, and it looked as if every Oz citizen was there, cheering loudly. The crowds dressed to the nines as some would say, and as we all walked out one by one, the cheering grew louder. Anthony and Natalee turned to Glinda, and were confused.

"Are they cheering for us or Ozma?" Natalee asked.

"They are cheering for all of us, Ozma will not walk out yet, she has to be formally introduced for the Coronation. Right now, this is our moment in the spotlight." Glinda answered. Before the door opened, she used her wand to fix her gown, and shined her crown and wand. Anthony and Natalee were still wearing their armor, so Glinda then used her power to give Anthony a traditional Oz tuxedo, black pants with a gold stripe on the sides, a satin cobalt blue jacket and a white vest with a black tie and of course, his own pocket watch. Natalee was given a beautiful Oz gown, violet overall with a corseted waste, was sleeveless, and had white gloves that came to her elbow. She had a small poof to her dress, a tribute to her success in the war, and her actions against the Witch. As Anthony walked down the center of the pathway in the Grand Hall, Natalee followed me and the cheering grew even louder. Then Anthony could see the familiar pink bubble float gently down to the center in the front, and Glinda was wearing her best dress yet. It was all baby pink and had gold accents on it. She too had white gloves, and had emerald jewelry, with her blonde head topped with her golden sun crown. As soon as she entered, everyone bowed. She waved her sun staff at the people, giving them good luck in their endeavors. When she finally reached the raised platform at the end of this hall of Mirrors, the ceremonial room in the Emerald City Palace, everyone stood up again, and clapped for her. She held her hand out in a gesture to tell them to stop so she could speak.

"Let the joyous news be heard the Wickedest Witch has finally been defeated, the Emperor overthrown, and Oz saved! Thank Anthony for his wisdom of our history, his devotion to the protection of Natalee and ofOz, and his persistence in fighting and not giving up, no matter how scared or threatened. For this, he has most definitely earned the Medal of Love." The crowds sheered loudly again, and confetti fell from the ceiling. Glinda winked at me and said, "congratulotions" as she pinned the gold heart on my lapel.

"And Natalee. She has fought diligently in uniting the Ozians, against one common enemy, The Wicked Witch of the West. She risked her very life even more at the end, knowing that every army the Wicked Witch had, was fixed on finding her Ruby Slippers, but still fought and never cowered in fear. Eventually, she herself killed the Witch, and disposed of the Ruby Slippers. For that, she has rightfully earned the Medal of Valor." Again the crowds cheered and more confetti fell with some balloons this time. Glinda turned to Natalee and pinned a gold shield with OZ on it on her shoulder strap. She smiled and said to her, "Outstanding".

Then Anthony stepped forward and spoke into the microphone.

"The final award is not a tangible one. For showing limitless magic power to strengthen the efforts of ourselves, providing endless encouragement, and showing Natalee and me the way to do Good, and for being the one person we knew no one could mess with, we thank her. I know I couldn't have done anything without her help. Finally, for having faith in us when sometimes we didn't, the Medal of Excellence belongs to Glinda, the Good. Then everybody screamed as loud as possible as if it were a rock concert, and tons of confetti and gold streamers and red balloons fell. Glinda smiled and hugged us both. Then Glinda called for us all to be silent.

"And now, if you would all rise for the coming of Her Highness. Ozma Tippetarius!" Glinda exclaimed. At first, no one moved, and then Ozma stepped out into the light of the pathway leading to where Anthony, Natalee, and Glinda stood. When everybody saw her they immediately gasped and went to their knees, bowing in admiration. Natalee and I did the same, as did Glinda. Ozma continued walking and she began tearing when she saw how many people showed their respect and adoration for her. At this moment, she was not wearing her crown, Glinda had it on a purple pillow behind her. Ozma reached the spot next to her and lowered her head. Glinda rose, and then everybody else followed.

"Lady Tippetarius. Do you swear to Lead Oz better than the best of your ability? To love your people putting them first at all times, to defend your empire, and to never again leave the City of Emeralds?" Glinda winked at her little innuendo to the whole Mombi thing, and Ozma let out a little laugh.

" Yes, I do. In the name of the our God, I promise." She turned to her subjects and said, "I thank you all for bowing, but do not feel obligated to do so every time you see me, I am honored to be Queen, not greedy and thirsting for this." Everybody clapped and she turned back to Glinda, who was holding the Crown.

"I hereby decree that on this 23rd Day in May of the 11th Cycle, that Lady Tippetarius hath gained the Royal Oz throne, and henceforth will be known as, Ozma." She lowered the crown to her head, and flags unraveled themselves draping the enormous Grand Hall and making the event more official. Again confetti gold streamers and balloons and this time small Emeralds dropped. Everybody clapped and cheered for the crowning of the rightful heir to the Throne. Anthony smiled and grabbed Natalee and Glinda's hands, and took a bow to the crowd. Then Ozma bowed to her people and stood proudly smiling holding her royal Oz staff, looking ahead to the possibilities in the future.

Chapter 23


	26. Chapter 26

**Farewell **

Glinda Announced that the ceremony was over and it was time for everyone to go home. Anthony was sad, the end of their time in Oz together was closing, and he did enjoy all of it. He liked meeting these incredible people whether they were Wicked or Good, it was still quite humbling. Natalee was ready to go back home though, the Ruby Slippers giving her bias, and of course it would be good to be back on Earth. So, we waited for everyone to leave, and I noticed Ozma was gone. I looked all around, but saw nothing.

"She's back in the throne room, she has much to deal with now, press, people's concerns and other issues. But you two can visit her whenever you wish, just show your medals I have given you." Glinda told me.

"Glinda, I have one last favor to ask you." Anthony said.

"Anything dear," she responded,

"Can you help us go home? It is time." Anthony held Natalee's hand but she resisted and instead linked arms with me, knowing that was my preferred move.

"I am sorry, this is the one thing I cannot help you with. You will have to ask Ozma that. I have to go back to Gilikin now so I'm afraid it is time to say goodbye." Anthony had watery eyes, he wasn't crying, just sad, and realized how significant the things that had happened over the past two Cycles were.

"Lady Glinda, I cannot thank you enough for everything. For supplying us with hope, power, courage and love. I am forever in your debt and it has been truly an honor to fight and serve with you." Anthony bowed and then Natalee stepped forward. Glinda smiled and began to get teary eyed.

"I am sorry to say I didn't know you very well, my involvement with Oz back on Earth was limited, but I must say thank you. You helped me get Anthony back when the Witch kidnapped him, you helped us escape the Emperor; yes I recognized those pink bubbles around the door, and you continued to believe in me despite my troubles or failures. You never let anything happen to Anthony when I wasn't around, and I can't thank you enough for that." Natalee curtsied, and Glinda smiled behind tearing eyes.

"You know, I have seen and met many people now from your world, and I have never felt this way about them until you two came. I always knew there was innate Goodness in you both, and that there is nothing you can't do. I know you will succeed in everything you do because, you have each other. I think of you two as my children sort of, I know it's silly, but it's true. I hope we will meet again. The door to Oz is always open for you two." She stepped towards us and gave us all a big hug. Her wand hit my head but I didn't care. I shook Glinda's hand and in it was something hard, that she was trying to hand over to me. It was a silver emerald and gold key, and the handle of it was the same O and Z found in Ozma's staff. It was the Key to the Emerald City which I quickly put in my back pocket. I winked at Glinda as she noticed I had the key. Natalee saw this too but at this time, didn't think anything of it. She and I straightened our backs as Glinda let go of the hug and she stepped backwards a little. For the very last time, a large (blue this time) bubble came down and gently engulfed Glinda. She waved one more time, and the bubble filled in. I stood at attention, thinking back to my ROTC days and gave a salute as she floated away. Natalee and I watched as Glinda floated up high and then disappeared into the distance. We looked at each other and nodded. We were sad to see her go, but really needed to go home now. So, Anthony lead the way back to the throne room. Then the sunlight was blocked out just as all those terrifying times before, and the lights went out. Natalee grabbed her bow from behind her back and I twirled my Staff out from where it was slung over my shoulder, ready to fight whomever dared to approachus now. A familiar blue fire streamed down in a heart shape burning on the ground infront of us. Bluefire came back when he heard the news natalee and I were leaving, and he wasn't alone. He brought the Head Horse and Unicorn with him. Natalee smiled and gave all of them hugs. Knowing how much she cared for them i let her say her good bye first. After all, she had known them longer than I by a little bit.

"Awww, you guys, thank you for coming, I was hoping I would get a chance to say good bye before I left. Horse and Unicorn, you two were my favorites, I try not to do that, but I can't lie. Thank you for saving me when the Tree attacked us on our way to Shiz, and for cheering me up when the war was about to begin. I really appreciated that." Natalee hugged them both and they smiled at her.

"You know you can always come back to us whenever you want Miss Natalee, we will be waiting for our next adventure whenever you are ready." Horse said.

"It has been a pleasure helping your cause this Cycle Natalee, you have earned the respect of all of us." The Unicorn replied, and extended her wing as a resemblence of a hug, closest as she could get because of them. Then Natalee turned to Blue.

"I will miss you a lot too. You were the first friendly being here to talk to me. I saw Glinda, but she was in a rush to get to Munchkinland when we first arrived. You are amazing, and I will always remember you, don't worry. Keep an eye on Horse for me, if he keeps trying to be a hero, he might get into trouble." Natalee gave Blue a big hug and he lowered his head to do the same.

"I shall also await our future endeavors Miss Natalee, there are more goals waiting to be conquered, and Evil ones to be vanquished still. For now at least, Oz is safe and sound, thank you." Bluefire spoke softly in admiration. Anthony still holding his staff gave Blue a big hug too.

"You also kept my girlfriend out of harm's way, and provided the swift mobilization we needed in order to win that War against the Witch. You also were brave enough to both spy on her while she made a deal with the Devil, and undaunted, you rescued the rest of your kin. You are a hero, and I thank you bro." Anthony bowed his head in respect and Blue did the same. We waved to them one last time, as Blue leaped off the ground with Unicorn at his side, and they majestically flew off to the East. Horse galloped South to Quadling and Natalee and I watched until they were out of sight.

"I will miss them, it was very cool and honorable of them to help us as much as they did." Anthony said.

"Yes it was, I will miss them too, but what did Glinda mean by we can come back whenever we want? We came here on accident, right?" Natalee asked. I pulled out the key and explained it's significance, and Natalee smiled. She playfully tried to grab it from me, but was ok with it.

"Alright, now we can leave. I am starting to get homesick, how about you?" she asked.

"Yes, I am ready." We walked again through the same enormous emerald hallway we passed in order to meet the Emperor back all those months ago. There was a guard that instead of the green outfit fur hat and spear, this man looked like a Knight, and opened the large familiar glass door for us. Still wearing our ceremonial attire, we were properly dressed to see Ozma of Oz. This time, the lights were all on, and everything was beautiful, there was no fire, no Dragon, and no moving head, just Ozma Tippetarius sitting in her throne pouring over papers, holding her staff.

"Excuse me Ozma," Natalee said, trying to get her attention, Ozma looked up and smiled.

"It's wonderful seeing you two again, what may I do for you?" She put her papers down on the floor and stood. Anthony looked at Natalee and she nodded.

"We would like to go home now. With heavy spirits, we wish to bid farewell, and return to Earth your Ozness."

"Well, I think I won't be too successful if I tried to convince you to stay, but I can and will help you. I just need you both to stand close together over here, but not

touching." She grabbed her wand staff and walked over to the side of her throne. She situated us both because we apparently did it wrong, and then she took three steps away from us. Waving her large emerald Oz staff, and singing to her self, the glass orb lit blue and purple.

"I need you to put your hands on each other's hearts, and angle your feet outward so that your heels are touching. Now think to your self, there's no place like home." She continued waving her staff and we thought that in our heads. I said it out loud once, and then couldn't stop thinking about Natalee's home before the tornado came. Natalee never spoke, but closed her eyes and repeated there's no place like home. We began drifting asleep, less and less was visible and audible in the throne room, until we almost went unconscious. In a trance almost. I kept repeating there's no place like home, and then stopped. I was drifting through space, and dimensions. All went black, and then I was asleep, on a hard wooden floor. Natalee was beside me and she too was asleep on this strange floor. The sun was shining brightly, and birds were chirping. We were back in Natalee's room on Earth. It is important to note, that the house and people in it, appear as if the tornado, never existed. Hershy's, Natalee's dog came up the stairs, and trotted over to us, and licked Natalee's face.

"Oh eww, Hershy, come on stop! Gross! Ugh!" she looked up and saw me snoring on the floor perpendicular to her. Hershy went away after her Mom called for him down below from the den. Natalee's brother walked by and stopped at her door way.

"What are you two doing on the floor? It's 4:14 in the afternoon! Let's go have lunch Natalee! And what's up with Anthony, why is he asleep?" Niccolas asked.

"Niccolas, just go please, I'll be down in a minute." Niccolas walked downstairs, and then she looked back at Anthony and at her room. Everything was still, and quiet. Just the summer breeze blowing through leaves and the few birds chirping out side of her window were heard. She stood up and was about to go downstairs, not wanting to disturb Anthony yet. But something caught her eye. Afraid and heart beating with adrenaline, she walked over to it. In the corner of her room, there was a very shiny, and glowing single Ruby on the floor nearest the window. She kneeled down to pick it up, and it glowed brilliantly in her fingers.

"It can't be, this was just-" She walked over to her bed and put it on her pillow. AS she walked out, her hands felt clamy so she went to the bathroom, to wash her hands, and despite the darkness from not having the bathroom light on, she didn't need to. The top of her shirt was also glowing, green this time. She put her hand to it and felt a two inch narrow pendant of some kind, so she pulled it out from under her shirt and she gasped. It was clearly a large Emerald necklace, eerily similar to the one that had recently saved her life from a certain Witch's venom lips. Natalee turned quickly around her to see Anthony, he was just waking up. Natalee realized her Oz ordeal was real, not a dream, and rushed over to Anthony to prevent him from seeing the Ruby on her bed, and she stuffed the emerald down her pocket.

"What happened Natalee, why was I asleep?" he asked. Natalee coughed.

"Nothing, you just were tired, it was dream just that nothing more." Natalee responded. As she looked behind her, before leaving her bedroom after assisting Anthony in standing again, she glanced at the ruby. She noticed it gleaming and then it wobbled. The Rubies were following us and she learned, Oz is real. Anthony felt something hard in his shorts pockets, and reached down to see what it was. A silver, gold, and emerald key with the letters O Z were in the handle, and he remembered. Natalee sat on her bed with Anthony, still hiding the Ruby from him. I never spoke, and neither did she. The particular objects we showed eachother, were enough, because none of them were from Earth. We realized that Glinda the Good wanted us to be able to return for some reason, not just to see us again, and more importantly, that Oz was a real place. However in order to remain able to visit Oz, we must continue telling ourselves and if circumstances arise, we must also tell others that Oz was only a dream. For if we told the truth, we would never be allowed to return.

So there you go, I told you it would sound crazy, but I swear it happened, and I haven't told anyone else about it. Not even Natalee's mother knows about this. It was a very challenging time for us all. It tested my will to be with Natalee. How far would I go to keep her? How much would I endure to remain her only lover? It challenged Natalee as well. How much would she be willing to sacrifice in order to stay with me? How much would she be willing to do in order to stay with me? Glinda was always there for us. She helped us understand everything we needed to know in order to do our mission. She helped us along the way, and made sure nothing was hopeless. In the end we were even rewarded. After Oz, life had to return to normal. School restarted, and our own lives needed attention as well. So what happened for us? Well it was just like every summer. My visit in California ended, and I had to return to school. Life went on, but Oz will always be more than a memory for me. It was a place. Beyond the moon, behind the sun, over the rainbow.


End file.
